Contacted by FBI

[fernando]

A few weeks ago we have been contacted by the Virtual Currency Team at the NCIJTF, a task force of federal agencies led by the FBI. They said they routinely contact industry experts and actors to keep their knowledge up to date, wanted to know more about Dash and arrange a meeting. We have exchanged a few emails to learn more about their intentions and, after a lot of consideration, we have decided not to meet with them.

We understand that law enforcement has a very important role in society and the Dash Core team is committed to always respect the law anywhere it operates. In this case, it looks like they only want education and a contact point for future reference. That by itself is not necessarily bad, but we don't want to create a dynamic that could lead to uncomfortable situations for anyone in the project. Besides that, the only information that anyone in the team has is what is publicly available in the blockchain or our site. Anyone with a computer can provide as much information as the team, so there is no point in meeting. We have made that clear to them.

Dash is completely legal and that has always been the opinion of all lawyers we have consulted about it since the beginning of the project. Being contacted by authorities is only natural when a project reaches the size and notoriety that Dash has. We are sharing this information because we are committed to transparency with the community, not because there is any problem. However, if someone has any doubt or is contacted by law enforcement about Dash, please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you desire so. Obviously, if it is an urgent or grave matter, contact an attorney in your jurisdiction first.

In the next few days we will create a few pages in the website where we explain how there is no point for law enforcement to ask for information because there is no information that we can share.

 

[AnarchicCluster]

Good call. I am glad you didn't meet with them. It would cause unnecesary suspicons among the community.

 

[tungfa]

tx for "handling" the case (before the case handles us)
i know we are in best hands with fernando leading this

 

[Schnuppdog]

ty for sharing ths this is a nice importent info

 

[cryptocash]

Good call. Thanks.

 

[ottokoester]

Crazy.
Sometimes, I think that I'm not a complete human and there is a (bio)nano-chip inside of my body trying to stop my faith...

 

[fernando]

Crazy.
Sometimes, I think that I'm not a complete human and there is a (bio)nano-chip inside of my body trying to stop my faith...

I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean.

 

[ottokoester]

I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean.

Hi Fernando,
Sorry, it was not my intention. When I saw your post, the first thing that it comes into my mind, it was a scene of Matrix Movie.
I would like to say, with another words, that our society is really something like a Matrix Movie or something like that...
I don't know how it will be in the future, but it seems exactly these Sci-Fi movies.

 

[fernando]

Hi Fernando,
Sorry, it was not my intention. When I saw your post, the first thing that it comes into my mind, it was a scene of Matrix Movie.
I would like to say, with another words, that our society is really something like a Matrix Movie or something like that...
I don't know how it will be in the future, but it seems exactly these Sci-Fi movies.

Ah, ok! yeah, sometimes it is scary how much presence the state has in everyday life. That is the great thing of cryptocurrencies, we are taking back money to the individual.

 

[Friend]

@fernando Sir, have you thought of implementing warrant canary?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrant_canary
Updated every 1-2 weeks.

It would probably bring more confidence to our dash society, if all major core members could consider taking similar steps.

 

[tungfa]

@fernando Sir, have you thought of implementing warrant canary?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrant_canary
Updated every 1-2 weeks.

It would probably bring more confidence to our dash society, if all major core members could consider taking similar steps.

yes we talked about this multi times back in the day
but deceived against it exactly for "events" like these
it is easier and more transparent to post updates and such as we do here than just take that can marie up or down - if that can marie would just go down the conspiracy theories would take off and there is no need for that kind of madness as the situation is well under controll
+
now
as we have been contacted we could not put the can cannarie up anyway

 

[demo]

I think its time to implement a proof of individuality in dash.

The community should know how many masternodes the FBI owns by tracking the voting behavior of the individuals.

Everybody should be able to analyze the voting behavior of the individuals and discover which and how many individuals are affiliated with FBI and how many masternodes they control.

For example:
if we put the below into a vote...

@fernando Sir, have you thought of implementing warrant canary?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrant_canary
Updated every 1-2 weeks.

...and if at the same time we also have a proof of idividuality scheme implemented in dash, then we could see how many individuals are affiliated with FBI. Because all the FBI affiliated individuals (together with a bunch of FBI lovers) will obviously vote NO in the above proposal.

Is my logic correct, @tungfa?

yes we talked about this multi times back in the day but deceived against it exactly for "events" like these

And you, @camosoul. what do you think about it?

I'm still not wearing any underwear.

 

[demo]

Besides that, the only information that anyone in the team has is what is publicly available in the blockchain or our site. Anyone with a computer can provide as much information as the team, so there is no point in meeting.

This is not accurate.
They may want the IP addresses of the people who talk here.
This information is not publicly available.

My campaign ....

....was created 5 july and last edited 7 July, and you posted about their try to contact you at 8 july.


I am afraid they are searching me!

#13

 

[Friend]

it is easier and more transparent to post updates and such as we do here than just take that can marie up or down

If you can post about the contact, you don't need to use the canary in the first place.
Canary is used when you were threatened and ordered, to stay silence about something i.e. contact by FBI.

now
as we have been contacted we could not put the can cannarie up anyway

There are different things you can communicate by the canary, not just simple contact.
For example:
0. I haven't been asked by 3-letter agency, to reveal "the IP addresses of the people who talk here".
1. I haven't been asked by 3-letter agency, to reveal, core's team, sensitive data.
2. I haven't been asked by 3-letter agency, to compromise DASH wallet software, with a backdoor.
3. I haven't been asked by 3-letter agency, to stay silence, about their contact with me.
4. I haven't been asked by 3-letter agency ,to compromise dash network, security.
5. I haven't been asked by 3-letter agency ,to abandon development of some dash network functionality
..and so on.

yes we talked about this multi times back in the day

Was it publicly discussed?

I'm curious:
Do you have many people in Core Team from the IT security, field?
Do you have dedicated security policies in cases of government pressures to i.e. weaken privacy?

 

[tungfa]

If you can post about the contact, you don't need to use the canary in the first place.
Canary is used when you were threatened and ordered, to stay silence about something i.e. contact by FBI.

There are different things you can communicate by the canary, not just simple contact.
For example:
0. I haven't been asked by 3-letter agency, to reveal "the IP addresses of the people who talk here".
1. I haven't been asked by 3-letter agency, to reveal, core's team, sensitive data.
2. I haven't been asked by 3-letter agency, to compromise DASH wallet software, with a backdoor.
3. I haven't been asked by 3-letter agency, to stay silence, about their contact with me.
4. I haven't been asked by 3-letter agency ,to compromise dash network, security.
5. I haven't been asked by 3-letter agency ,to abandon development of some dash network functionality
..and so on.

Was it publicly discussed?

I'm curious:
Do you have many people in Core Team from the IT security, field?
Do you have dedicated security policies in cases of government pressures to i.e. weaken privacy?

we have professional lawyers on board and if in need they double check with online privacy groups and other professionals
as u posted that canary carries a lot of options (from backdoor to just an email option) , that is why it is very easy to overthink that canary being posted or being removed. (removing without a comment would put you right away in the "backdoor box")
our canary would be gone anyway already as we were contacted
so case closed tbh

 

[fernando]

we have professional lawyers on board and if in need they double check with online privacy groups and other professionals
as u posted that canary carries a lot of options (from backdoor to just an email option) , that is why it is very easy to overthink that canary being posted or being removed. (removing without a comment would put you right away in the "backdoor box")
our canary would be gone anyway already as we were contacted
so case closed tbh

@Friend is right that canaries are for situation in which you are legally forbidden to inform that you have been contacted. Those cases are relatively rare and are only admissible under certain supposedly strict circumstances (not the case, they use terrorism for everything). That is no the case in this situation and proof of that is that we are openly talking about it.

As for the need of a canary warrant in the site, I'm not sure. Even if you have one, nothing forces you to remove it when someone comes asking. You could help those with the warrant and not remove the canary, so in the end it is all down to trust in the people who could receive those information request. The real defense against 3 letter agencies is the fact that we can't provide any information on the protocol that is not public already, so there is no point in serving us crazy requests. That is the power of trustless setups and open source combined. It doesn't matter how much they shout, nobody in the team can track funds or identify anyone better than anyone outside the team. We don't need policies to protect information because we don't have it.

Finally, as for people with infosec profile, there are some with some experience in the field. And more importantly, we have worked closely with organizations in the space. For this case and in the past. I can't provide details to avoid waiving the attorney client privilege, but know that we take this seriously.

 

[demo]

The real defense against 3 letter agencies is the fact that we can't provide any information on the protocol that is not public already, so there is no point in serving us crazy requests. That is the power of trustless setups and open source combined. It doesn't matter how much they shout, nobody in the team can track funds or identify anyone better than anyone outside the team. We don't need policies to protect information because we don't have it.

If this is true, then why the maximum number of masternodes remains 10000? Why dont you increase that number, and reduce the masternode's 1000 dash collateral? The more masternodes you have, the more safe the network is. Why you enforced IPv4 addresses for all the DASH masternodes? PIVX supports the Tor network, so it seems to me that the reason you enforced IPv4 was not a technical one.

You have already provided the most valuable information. 10000 servers maximum, and their IPs static and known to everyone. If someone buys enough servers (and some organizations have a lot of money!) then everything is under their control. Of course you are right when saying that you cannot provide any information on the protocol that is not public already, but on the other hand you are wrong because you designed a protocol that can be easily compromised and exposed.

Finally, in order to expose the way they vote those who own the majority of the masternodes , so that everyone could clearly understand where they come from, why dont you organize a proof of individuality event, like this one?

 

[mikaelarosa]

Thanks for the info

 

[demo]

A few weeks ago we have been contacted by the Virtual Currency Team at the NCIJTF, a task force of federal agencies led by the FBI..

And this is my last question to you, @fernando.
Can you tell us the exact day this team contacted you?
Does the day match with @amanda_b_johnson 's hiatus?

You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions.
Anything you say may be used against you in the eternal court of law.

 

[tungfa]

And this is my last question to you, @fernando.
Can you tell us the exact day this team contacted you?
Does the day match with @amanda_b_johnson 's hiatus?

You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions.
Anything you say may be used against you in the eternal court of law.

nonsense
this has nothing to do with each other
u can stop trolling now and fishing for more nonsense