The Insider says it spread a “rumor” about the NSA whistleblower by “mistake”
Edward Snowden has lampooned the idea that he once lived in a KGB safehouse in Moscow. The claim was mistakenly made by liberal Russian investigative outlet, The Insider, as a result of what it said was a translation error.
The feature story about safehouses purportedly used by Soviet and Russian special services was published on Tuesday. The English-language version was headlined: “Putin’s daughters, Anna Chapman and Edward Snowden: The high-profile tenants of KGB and SVR safehouses.”
Despite his prominence in the teaser, the American fugitive who blew the whistle on the NSA’s mass electronic surveillance program barely featured in the story. A single sentence mentioned a rumor that he once was “hiding” at a particular address. He was described as a “defector” who “faces a 30-year prison sentence in the United States.”
Snowden reacted to the claim on Wednesday, tweeting that it was a lie and branding The Insider “knuckleheads.” Since becoming the focus of news, he added, he had abandoned the notion that media could be relied on to mostly report facts accurately.
Today, an "anti-fake news" outlet (@InsiderEng) falsely claimed that I lived in a KGB safehouse. They even know which floor I'm on! What a scoop!
The problem? It's a lie. I don't cooperate with spies or live in a safe house, much less 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘒 𝘌𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘺! 🤦 pic.twitter.com/rXbRbzpF2J
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 17, 2023