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Whistleblower Edward Snowden Joins Twitter, Twitter Goes Wild

© AP Photo / dpa,Wolfgang KummFormer National Security Agency, NSA contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden follows the 2014 Carl von Ossietzky Medal award ceremony by the International League for Human Rights via live video transmission in Berlin, Germany, Sunday Dec. 14,2014
Former National Security Agency, NSA contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden follows the 2014 Carl von Ossietzky Medal award ceremony by the International League for Human Rights via live video transmission in Berlin, Germany, Sunday Dec. 14,2014 - Sputnik International
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The biggest news story of the day? Edward Snowden’s initiation into the Twittersphere. And the whistleblower received a pretty warm welcome.

At long last, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden joined the rank and file of Twitter on Tuesday afternoon. His online arrival quickly became a trending topic.

@Snowden has already gained over 600,000 followers, and most of those have expressed their support.

Some even took the opportunity to compare the 32-year-old to the Caped Crusader.

Others shared their love in surprising ways.

Then there’s Republican presidential candidate George Pataki.

There was, however,  an unexpectedly divisive reaction among members of hacking group Anonymous. While @YourAnonNews sent out positive vibes, @YourAnonCentral was more wary about Snowden’s celebrity.

A former contractor with the US National Security Agency, Snowden gained worldwide attention when he exposed the US government’s domestic spying apparatus. Facing up to 30 years in an American prison, he is currently living in exile in Russia, where he has been granted a three-year residency permit.

His presence in an online public forum will allow him to participate in conversations about Internet privacy and digital surveillance.

At this time, Snowden only follows one other account: the NSA.

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