Edward Snowden on Facebook: "And They Call Me A Criminal"

image
Published: 10 Apr, 2018
2 min read

The testimony of Mark Zuckerberg on privacy protections and data collection on Facebook in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal will likely be the most watched and closely analyzed hearing of the year. People on all sides of the political spectrum have weighed in over social media in droves.

There are many aspects of the hearing that are getting the most attention: Many senators' lack of knowledge of Facebook and perplexing questions, Mark Zuckerberg's at times contradictory statements, the joke that the whole thing turned into online, and more.

However, there is one response that will likely get overlooked by most media outlets.

https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/983801604519407616

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) asked Zuckerberg about whether or not Facebook tracks user activity after they log off Facebook.

"There have been reports that Facebook can tracks a user's internet browsing activity even after that user has logged off of the Facebook platform," said Senator Wicker. "Can you confirm whether or not this is true?"

Zuckerberg didn't really seem like he wanted to talk about this.

https://twitter.com/MashableNews/status/983797210759348224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2F2018%2F04%2F10%2Fmark-zuckerberg-testimony-tracking-users%2F&tfw_creator=mashable&tfw_site=mashable

Zuckerberg said he would have his team follow up with the senator, but Wicker pressed the issue.

IVP Donate

"You don't know?" Wicker asked.

"I know that people use cookies on the internet, and that you can probably correlate activity between, um, between sessions," responded Zuckerberg. "We do that for a number of reasons, including security and including measuring ads to make sure that the ad experiences are the most effective."

Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden's response to commentary that Zuckerberg dodged this question was, "And they call me a criminal."

That wasn't the only tweet, either:

Before you read or watch Facebook's CEO testifying today, you need to read this. He's not sorry: every activity we've seen from this company is part of the same unbroken strategy of deception. https://t.co/DF426R7gNa

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) April 10, 2018

In case you were wondering why Congress today is treating Facebook's CEO like an old friend rather than grilling him (they didn't even require him to be sworn in): https://t.co/ZLOVIVUo18

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) April 10, 2018

But Snowden wasn't just critical of Zuckerberg and Facebook. He also RTed commentary that points out the apparent hypocrisy of some senators who all of a sudden are concerned about consumer privacy and data protection:

https://twitter.com/EmmaVigeland/status/983784314918891522

Let Us Vote : Sign Now!

Called a heroic whistle-blower by some and a criminal traitor by others, Edward Snowden has resided in Russia since 2013 after he leaked information on mass surveillance and data collection programs conducted by the US intelligence community -- specifically the NSA.

The Justice Department charged Snowden with violating the Espionage Act in June 2013 for these leaks.

You Might Also Like

Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
The latest Independent Voter Podcast episode takes listeners through the messy intersections of politics, reform, and public perception. Chad and Cara open with the irony of partisan outrage over trivial issues like a White House ballroom while overlooking the deeper dysfunctions in our democracy. From California to Maine, they unpack how the very words on a ballot can tilt entire elections and how both major parties manipulate language and process to maintain power....
30 Oct, 2025
-
1 min read
California Prop 50 gets an F
Princeton Gerrymandering Project Gives California Prop 50 an 'F'
The special election for California Prop 50 wraps up November 4 and recent polling shows the odds strongly favor its passage. The measure suspends the state’s independent congressional map for a legislative gerrymander that Princeton grades as one of the worst in the nation....
30 Oct, 2025
-
3 min read
bucking party on gerrymandering
5 Politicians Bucking Their Party on Gerrymandering
Across the country, both parties are weighing whether to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Texas, California, Missouri, North Carolina, Utah, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, and Virginia are all in various stages of the action. Here are five politicians who have declined to support redistricting efforts promoted by their own parties....
31 Oct, 2025
-
4 min read