The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a notable digital rights group, has submitted an amicus brief in support of Roman Storm, a developer associated with the crypto privacy protocol Tornado Cash (TORN).
Storm faces charges including conspiracy to facilitate money laundering and violations regarding sanctions due to his work on the Tornado Cash protocol.
“The government’s prosecution raises larger civil liberties concerns that could chill the future development of privacy-enhancing technologies more broadly,” the EFF articulated in the brief.
Translation: “Sua posição em relação à privacidade levanta preocupações maiores sobre as liberdades civis que podem inibir o desenvolvimento futuro de tecnologias que aprimoram a privacidade.”
The EFF contends that Storm’s trial risks stifling open-source innovation, as it holds developers accountable for how their tools are used rather than prosecuting the actual offenders.
“Nearly all privacy and anonymity protective software tools are dual-use tools. Like physical masks or paper cash, they provide crucial protections for users but can also be misused by bad actors,” the EFF wrote.
Translation: “Praticamente todos os softwares de proteção à privacidade e anonimato são ferramentas de uso duplo. Como máscaras físicas ou dinheiro em papel, fornecem proteções essenciais para os usuários, mas podem ser mal utilizados por atores mal intencionados.”
In its prosecution of Storm, the government invokes the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which allows the government to impose sanctions during national emergencies. The EFF challenges this application as inappropriate.
“If the government believes it should criminalize these technologies, it must seek relief from Congress and not rely on IEEPA, or worse, expand these laws to activities unrelated to criminal actions,” the EFF argued.
Translation: “Se o governo acredita que deve criminalizar essas tecnologias, deve buscar alívio no Congresso e não depender da IEEPA, ou pior, expandir essas leis para atividades não relacionadas a atos criminosos.”
If Congress aims to regulate tools like Tornado Cash, the EFF stipulates that it can pass a law that clearly differentiates legal from illegal use. They claim the prosecution fails to do so.
The TORN token has surged nearly 50% over the last month, according to market data, fueled by optimism for a favorable decision for Storm.
Storm is set to return to court in April.
