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Pardon Snowden Campaign Has a Snapchat Filter at Obama's White House Concert

A bit of subversive activism at the White House's party.
Image: Pardon Snowden

The ongoing "Pardon Snowden" campaign has launched a Snapchat filter at the White House's "South By South Lawn" event, meaning anyone who uses the app at President Obama's concert will be able to participate in a pretty frictionless and low-key bit of political activism.

Last month, the American Civil Liberties Union, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and dozens of other human rights organizations launched the Pardon Snowden campaign, which seeks to get President Obama to pardon NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden before his first term is up. Hundreds of lawyers, policymakers, actors, artists, and cryptographers, as well as thousands of internet users have also signed a petition supporting Snowden.

Obama is throwing a "mini SXSW" called SXSL at the White House Monday featuring movie screenings, music, Leonardo DiCaprio is going to interview Obama for some reason, etc. Obama described it like this:

"The folks out on the lawn today are artists, creators, entrepreneurs, and innovators who will share how they've used their unique skills to engage their communities in making the change they want to see—whether it's curing cancer, fighting poverty, empowering women, and so much more."

The folks behind the Pardon Snowden campaign bought this Snapchat filter, which will be available during the entire event:

Obama has been known to use Snapchat from time to time—I wouldn't expect him to pull up this filter, but if he does, maybe we'll get a bit of insight into which way he's leaning.