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In MyMemeCards, the meme card game, “SSL added and removed here” is a common card of the Memes World series 76, number 22591 of the collection, and the 296th best-known meme of its 298 cards. Here is what the meme means, where it comes from, and how to get its card.
What does the “SSL added and removed here” meme mean?
The phrase is a playful jab at how large tech corporations control the internet and concentrate its power. It can mock corporate overreach or celebrate people who build their own independent servers, out of pride in self-reliance. The winking smiley adds irony to a serious technical reality. It shows up in computing, self-hosting and security circles, to comment on a centralised service, a dependence on one provider or a privacy promise.
Where does the “SSL added and removed here” meme come from?
According to Know Your Meme, the line comes from a 2013 top secret NSA presentation titled “Google Cloud Exploitation”, tied to the MUSCULAR surveillance programme and leaked by Edward Snowden. On the slide, a hand-drawn diagram of data flow carries a winking smiley. SSL is an older name for TLS, the encryption behind https, and GFE stands for Google Front End. A Washington Post article dated 30 October 2013 brought the image to the public. T-shirts with the phrase were later sold to raise money for the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the ACLU. In 2014, Google engineers tucked a reference to the diagram into a commented-out flag in an installation script, and the phrase remained a hacker in-joke.
- 30 October 2013The Washington Post publishes an article about the NSA presentation and its slide.
- 21 November 2013T-shirts with the phrase are sold to benefit the EFF and the ACLU.
- 2014Google engineers hide a reference to the diagram in a commented-out flag of an installation script.
- 11 October 2025The Know Your Meme entry on the phrase is added.
How to use the “SSL added and removed here” meme
- Comment on a centralised service by typing “ssl added and removed here! ;-)”.
- Brag about hosting your own site on a home server.
- Mock a big platform’s privacy promise.
- Print the phrase on a T-shirt for a tech conference.
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The “SSL added and removed here” card in MyMemeCards
| Number | No. 22591 |
|---|---|
| Rarity | Common |
| Collection | Memes World series 76 |
| Fame | 45/100 · #296 of 298 |
| Recycle value | 5 MemeCoins (15 in Shiny) |
How to get the “SSL added and removed here” card
Every pack holds 5 meme cards, the first 3 of them Common; SSL added and removed here comes out of the Memes World series 76 as a common card. The pack odds say what each rarity weighs.
Your first pack is free and needs no account. After that a new free pack lands every 10 minutes, up to 3 waiting for you. You can also buy the card with MemeCoins on the market, bid for it at auction, or trade it — and a double recycles into 5 MemeCoins.
Open your free pack
5 meme cards, one of them at least Rare. One free pack per person.
Free · no account needed
Odds per card, averaged over a pack: Common 72%, Rare 23.9%, Epic 3.2%, Legendary 0.56%, Mythic 0.3%, Full Art ≤ 0.1%, Shiny 0.2%. Cards 1 to 3 are always Common, cards 4 and 5 climb the rarities. Rates drop for cards that circulate a lot. Details
Memes like “SSL added and removed here”
More cards of the Memes World series 76
Frequently asked questions
Where does “ssl added and removed here” come from?
From a slide in a 2013 top secret NSA presentation, leaked by Edward Snowden and titled “Google Cloud Exploitation”.
What do SSL and GFE mean?
SSL is the older name for TLS, the encryption behind https connections. GFE stands for Google Front End.
Why the winking smiley?
Know Your Meme says it can imply the data was already being collected at that point, or seen as an opportunity.
How do I get the SSL added and removed here meme card?
Open a pack of MyMemeCards: “SSL added and removed here” is a common card of the Memes World series 76. Your first pack is free, with no account, and you can also buy, trade or win the card at auction.
How rare is the SSL added and removed here card?
It is a Common card. Rarity decides which pack slot can deal it, and what it is worth on the market.
Sources: Know Your Meme — SSL Added and Removed Here · checked on October 18, 2026.
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