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Edward Snowden's New Job: Tech Support

Nerval's Lobster writes "Government whistleblower Edward Snowden, exiled in Russia after releasing top-secret documents about the National Security Agency's surveillance activities to the press, has a new job: tech support. Snowden's lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, told the Associated Press that his client starts work Nov. 1 for a "major" Russian Website, which he declined to name. In June, Snowden—a former CIA employee who worked as a contractor for the NSA—began feeding an enormous pile of classified charts and documents about federal surveillance programs to The Guardian and other newspapers. Many of those documents suggested that the NSA, ordinarily tasked with intercepting communications from terrorists and foreign governments, collects massive amounts of information on ordinary Americans, which in turn ignited a firestorm of controversy. The Snowden revelations have continued into this week, with The Washington Post reporting that the NSA has aggressively targeted Google and Yahoo servers. Snowden's documents suggest that the agency has figured out how to tap the links connecting the two tech giants' datacenters to the broader Web. Google told the Post that it was "troubled" by the report. A Yahoo spokesperson insisted that the company had "strict controls in place to protect the security of our datacenters" and that "we have not given access to our data centers to the NSA or to any other government agency.""

13 of 328 comments (clear)

  1. IT support by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 5, Funny

    "IT support. Have you tried turning the NSA tapping device off and on again?"

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  2. permissions by schneidafunk · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't give him root.

    --
    Some people die at 25 and aren't buried until 75. -Benjamin Franklin
    1. Re:permissions by Chatterton · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If your data's are completely legitimate and show no wrongdoing from the company part, I don't think you should be afraid of him working for your company. A whist-blower is not someone who like to share your data, it is someone who can't bear all the wrongdoing you/your company are doing that he don't see other way to make you stop doing it than showing it to the world hoping that you will change. Generally they are people who have a high level of moral integrity.

    2. Re:permissions by CanHasDIY · · Score: 5, Informative

      Generally they are people who have a high level of moral integrity.

      Morals are not universal.

      Oh, the fuck they aren't.

      I'm getting pretty fed up with people excusing fucked up behavior by claiming, 'waaah, but morals are hard!'

      No, they fucking aren't; you want to be a morally just person? Remember one rule: treat every other person the way you want to be treated. Excluding true sociopaths who are chemically unable to parse the concept, yes, morality really is that simple.

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
  3. Wow, harsh. by T.E.D. · · Score: 5, Funny

    So he hasn't even been arrested yet, and his punishement has already started?

  4. Now *that's* punishment by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 5, Funny

    He should've just let them shoot him.

  5. idiot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    since the u.s. claims global jurisdiction over its citizens regardless of where they travel to or reside, and he is still one, now he's gonna have to file taxes.... that means if they don't know it yet, by april 15th, the feds will know his address... and if he doesn't file, he can then be arrested on tax evasion.. even if what he's done already ends up being legal whistleblowing.

  6. The US, for all its power, hasn't plugged the leak by davide+marney · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Whatever Snowden did to bottle up his stolen cache of documents, it has apparently kept the entire US security apparatus at bay.

    Now, THAT'S a project that would look good on an IT resume, anywhere.

    --
    "We receive as friendly that which agrees with, we resist with dislike that which opposes us" - Faraday
  7. Re:Thanks to him by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Insightful

    He's just the messenger. Whether it gets safer or not is up to us now.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  8. Good life by skaag · · Score: 5, Interesting

    After having lived in Russia for some 6 month cumulatively, I have this to say: Edward Snowden is going to love it.

    A few reasons:

    - Incredibly beautiful women
    - Incredibly cool clubs and bars
    - Awesome Moscow Ballet / Classical Music / Cultural Events / Arts / Museums
    - McDonalds has a whole wheat bun, need I say more?

    --

    All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain... time... to... die...

  9. Re:Thanks to him by gmuslera · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Knowing that there is a ticking bomb under your feet don't automatically disable it, you are not safer than before. But let you take measures to try to be safe in the future, before it explodes in your face. For making the world better you must know where it is broken.

  10. Re:SNOWDEN !! DOUBLE-AGENT ?? by CreatureComfort · · Score: 5, Funny

    That is so incredibly devious! It take s real fiend to spread rumors and lies this malicious.

    NSA Operative: Our public profile is way too high, and this Snowden jerk is winning in the popularity polls. We need to discredit him, quick!
    NSA Public Relations Rat: Well, we need to get people to despise Snowden and focus on him and his new antics so we can fade back into the background.
    NSA Operative: OK, so who is the most despised group on earth? Terrorists? Traitors?
    NSA PRR: No. No. We've been trying that for months, and we just can't get any traction with the press or public. Worse, both those arguments lead back to us and our data.
    NSA Operative: How about members of Congress, or the White House?
    NSA PRR: You mean get him elected? No good, do you know what a seat in Congress is going for these days? Even our black budget can't afford any more than we already have, and don't even get me started on what a White House position costs now.
    NSA Operative: Hmm... pedophile rapist?
    NSA PRR: Maybe you're onto something... He is in Russia after-all... Wait! I've got it. The most universally reviled, disgusting, hated group in the world!
    NSA Operative: What? What!?
    NSA PRR: We'll tell everyone he's....... Tech Support.
    NSA Operative: You vicious bastard. Even I couldn't have some up with something so foul. I love you for it.

    --
    "Unheard of means only it's undreamed of yet,
    Impossible means not yet done." ~~ Julia Ecklar
  11. Re:SNOWDEN !! DOUBLE-AGENT ?? by Swampash · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sorry you love the Federal Government so much, but Snowden is a patriot standing up for the ideals on which the USA was founded. Deal with it.