He didn't use Linux until after the leaks. He was a Windows power user for most of his NSA career and switched to Qubes/Tails only after deciding to leak. So, Edward was in the honeymoon phase or when LiGNUts are the most vocal and irrational.
His operational security mistakes (e.g., contacting journalists over regular channels early on) contradict the "perfect infosec wizard" myth. This undercuts the Linux‑fanboy narrative that he's proof of Linux superiority.
He leaked far more than what was necessary to expose wrongdoing. Multiple independent reviews (including from The Washington Post, The Guardian, and oversight committees) found that a large portion of the documents he took had no direct connection to domestic surveillance. Some leaks exposed foreign intelligence operations, not civil‑liberties violations. Even journalists involved admitted they withheld huge portions because they were too sensitive.
He fled to Hong Kong, then Russia -both surveillance states. Hong Kong was under increasing Chinese influence in 2013. Russia is one of the world's most aggressive surveillance regimes. He accepted Russian residency, then Russian citizenship (2022). (what a traitor would do, and this is interesting because Linux advocates tend to fear Yandex for being Russian and Opera for Chinese affiliation)
He publicly supported questionable foreign policies. Snowden has made statements that align with Russian geopolitical narratives. He criticized Western intelligence far more than non‑Western intelligence agencies. LiGNUts tend to ignore this because it clashes with their "neutral freedom fighter" framing.
He was not a high‑level analyst: He was a contractor sysadmin. He wasn't a senior intelligence officer, policy architect, or cryptographic researcher, but a contractor with elevated access who used sysadmin privileges to exfiltrate documents. (He's not the 'genius that saw everything'.)
Snowden has said, "I should have been more careful." He regrets certain aspects of how he handled the leaks and admits he underestimated geopolitical consequences. Linux users rarely acknowledge this because it breaks the "flawless infosec demigod" image.
His leaks harmed some legitimate intelligence operations. Some exposed programs were targeted at foreign adversaries, not Americans. Some disclosures forced intelligence agencies to abandon effective counterterrorism tools. Several intelligence officials (including non‑political career staff) testified that lives may have been put at risk.
He's not universally respected by other whistleblowers. Some notable whistleblowers (including those who exposed corporate wrongdoing or environmental crimes) have criticized the scale of his leaks, the geopolitical fallout, and his choice of refuge.
