Hours after the Russian Federation granted asylum to former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, the founder of the country’s answer to Facebook offered him a job.
Snowden’s new status allows him to travel and work freely in Russia, something Pavel Durov — founder of VKontakte, Russia’s answer social networking answer to Facebook — was quick to make his interest in the computer genius known.
“We invite Edward Snowden to Petersburg and will be happy if he decides to join the star team of programmers at VKontakte,” Durov said on his VKontakte profile, Reuters reports.
While Snowden’s disclosures of the West’s massive global surveillance regime have angered members of the national security establishment, he is hailed as a hero and a whistleblower by those fearing the unchecked rise of an Orwellian surveillance state.
“In such moments one feels pride with our country and regret over the course taken by United States — a country betraying the principles it was once built on,” said Durov.
Durov says that VKontakte, which is Russian for “In Contact,” boasts 210 million registered users and 47 million daily users. The Russian social network has also been a source of controversy in its own right for allegations of collaborating with Russian authorities.