Twitter got yet another high-profile addition on Tuesday when Edward Snowden sent out his first tweet:
He is using the @Snowden handle with the following description: "I used to work for the government. Now I work for the public. Director at @FreedomofPress."
Snowden had already amassed 88,000 followers within about 40 minutes of sending out that first tweet. Most notable is that he is thus far only following one account: the National Security Agency (NSA).
Twitter's interim CEO and founder Jack Dorsey responded to Snowden with this tweet:
Snowden gained notoriety in 2013 for leaking details of the once-secret U.S. surveillance programs conducted by the NSA. He fled to Russia, where he was granted asylum despite demands by the United States that he return to face espionage and other charges.
—The AP contributed to this report.