According to the Intercept[1], the account was squatted and unused for 3 years, and Twitter released it to associates of Snowden upon request. Considering Jack

According to the Intercept[1], the account was squatted and unused for 3 years, and Twitter released it to associates of Snowden upon request. Considering Jack Dorsey's response to the matter, it's not surprising they'd acquiece. I've heard Twitter can be pretty accommodating when it comes to squatted usernames when there's an official reason like a trademark or strongly worded letter from a law firm citing brand confusion. Maybe Snowden's legal team or his associates at the ACLU just asked nicely :-) [1] https://theintercept.com/2015/09/29/edward-snowden-twitter-snowden/ https://theintercept.com/2015/09/29/edward-snowden-twitter-s... [2] https://twitter.com/jack/status/648894111634857984 https://twitter.com/jack/status/648894111634857984