Ethereum Co-Founder Criticizes Renewal of FISA’s Section 702

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  • Buterin criticized the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
  • The measure to extend FISA’s Section 702 for another two years was recently approved.

Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has voiced concerns that the execution of new programs inside Section 702 would impact privacy and the crypto community generally, and has therefore criticized the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

The reintroduction of laws allowing the United States government to conduct surveillance without warrants has made many digital privacy and decentralized technology advocates extremely uneasy.

Warrantless Monitoring Tactics

In the crypto sector, where privacy and decentralization are seen as fundamental principles, Buterin’s comments reflect a growing feeling of discomfort. Widespread monitoring capabilities, according to Ethereum’s co-founder, may undermine confidence and safety in the cryptocurrency space by exposing users and developers to needless governmental scrutiny.

Following intense discussion, the measure to extend FISA’s Section 702 for another two years was recently approved by the U.S. Senate. Stricter data protection requirements were required by both conservative and progressive members, who put up considerable opposition, leading to this verdict. Moments after the bill expired, a final vote for renewal was 60–34.

Warrantless monitoring tactics, primarily targeting foreign nationals, are enabled by the renewal. On the other hand, it incorporates American communications collected throughout these events as well. The absence of substantial changes to protect the privacy of U.S. residents, according to critics like Buterin, demonstrates the present act’s expansive and intrusive nature.

Moreover, others like Senator Ron Wyden, also voiced concerns that ordinary citizens may be subject to monitoring due to a last-minute modification, arguing that the measure was open to misuse.

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