What is your definition of a "private citizen"? Does it, say, exclude anyone who the government (or parts of it) would consider worthy of retaliation by definition? If one has enough of an audience to embarrass the government, it might just so happen that one doesn't fall under your definition of "private citizen" anymore?
(Also: "random citizen" or "private citizen"? A citizen who criticizes the government is barely a "random citizen".)