Sam Bankman-Fried was forced to temporarily stop using a VPN after watching the Super Bowl and other football games on a private network.
A judge prohibited Sam Bankman-Fried from using a virtual private network (VPN) after the former FTX CEO admitted to using a VPN to watch the Super Bowl while under house arrest.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan stated that “the defendant’s use of a VPN raises many of the same concerns connected with his use of an encrypted messaging or contact program.” “I hereby change the defendant’s release conditions, effective immediately, to restrict his use of any VPN.”
The move comes as the attorneys for Bankman-Fried negotiate his bail conditions with prosecutors. After he was accused of contacting a prospective witness in his criminal case, the judge recently prohibited Bankman-Fried from using encrypted messaging apps like Signal. Additionally, Bankman-Fried is prohibited from communicating with current or former FTX employees until his bail terms are met.
The judge dismissed the attorneys’ request to extend the deadline to offer new bail terms until Friday. According to Kaplan’s ruling, submissions on Bankman-Fried’s bail application terms are due on Wednesday, and the court will hear arguments on Thursday afternoon.
According to court documents, officials learned last week that Bankman-Fried had used a VPN, raising fears that the government would be unable to view the websites he visits or the data he sends and receives when utilizing a private network.
The attorneys for Bankman-Fried stated on Tuesday that he utilized a VPN to view the AFC and NFC championship games on January 29 and the Super Bowl on Sunday. Bankman-Fried accessed the games using an NFL Game Pass international subscription he purchased while residing in the Bahamas, and he has volunteered to avoid the private network until his bail conditions are determined.
Bankman-Fried is under house arrest on a $250 million bond and, if convicted, could spend decades in prison.
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