[Edward Snowden commenting on the Lavabit shutdown, via Glenn Greenwald at The Gaurdian][1]:

> America cannot succeed as a country where individuals like Mr. Levison have to relocate their businesses abroad to be successful. Employees and leaders at Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo, Apple, and the rest of our internet titans must ask themselves why they aren’t fighting for our interests the same way small businesses are. The defense they have offered to this point is that they were compelled by laws they do not agree with, but one day of downtime for the coalition of their services could achieve what a hundred Lavabits could not.

That would be a hell of a thing, no Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo, or Apple until the US government pulls their heads out of their asses. If those companies simply tell their users they are shutting down until something is done, you better believe shit *will* get done. I’d pay to see that.

[1]: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/09/lavabit-shutdown-snowden-silicon-valley