Thread by @fightfortheftr

This month, US courts ruled that the government's massive spying program was ILLEGAL, vindicating @Snowden for blowing the whistle on the government’s crimes. So why is this hero still exiled and living in fear of prosecution?

#PardonSnowden

1/12

https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/1301251393832050688

For years, the US government abused the PATRIOT Act to spy on the phone calls, emails, and Internet activity of millions of Americans … without a warrant. That threatens our basic human rights and makes us all less safe.

2/12

theguardian.com/world/interact…

The government kept the public — and Congressional lawmakers — in the dark about their secret spying until @Snowden risked his safety and his freedom to reveal details about this dangerous mass surveillance program.

3/12

washingtonpost.com/world/national…

When Congress called on the Director of National Intelligence to testify about this secret spying program, he LIED under oath.

@Snowden was forced to live in exile for telling the truth; no government official was punished for spying OR lying.

4/12

businessinsider.com/james-clapper-…

The government’s own internal review board found that the government's massive spying program didn't identify ANY terrorists or stop ANY terrorist attacks.

The PATRIOT Act didn’t keep us safe, but the government kept using it to spy on us anyway.

5/12

cdt.org/insights/the-n…

The government abused its surveillance authority to spy on journalists — including people working for @AP and @FoxNews — and whistleblowers who were trying to expose government corruption.

6/12

theintercept.com/2016/06/30/sec…

Intelligence agencies routinely requested unauthorized data from cell phone and Internet service providers, illegally collecting HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of records.

HUNDREDS.

OF.

MILLIONS.

7/12

theverge.com/2018/7/1/17523…

This summer, millions of people across America have taken to the streets to protest police violence and racial injustice.

Guess what? The government has been spying on them, too … and LYING about Black political activists being terrorists.

8/12

theintercept.com/2019/04/08/bla…

Recently, US courts ruled that the government’s massive spying program is illegal.

Even more terrifying, the same courts found that the government’s massive spying program did NOTHING to stop terrorism. NOTHING.

9/12

businessinsider.com/nsa-phone-snoo…

Unfortunately, a different US court recently decided to make it EASIER for the NSA and FBI to conduct surveillance on everyone in America ... despite the fact that the NSA and FBI routinely break their own rules for spying on Americans.

😡

10/12

https://twitter.com/PGEddington/status/1303826705665200136

To keep the government from spying on us, we need our members of Congress to STOP renewing the PATRIOT Act and other dangerous laws.

Some lawmakers like @AOC are willing to fight mass surveillance. But other lawmakers need to be convinced.

11/12

https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1196573088214867968

Don’t let the government spy on your phone calls, emails, and other electronic communications. Sign the petition at stopthepatriotact.org to tell your lawmakers to reject the PATRIOT Act and keep us all safe from illegal government surveillance.

12/12