A US District Judge has prohibited former FTX ex CEO Sam Bankman-Fried from using a virtual private network (VPN) after he admitted to using it to watch the Super Bowl while under house arrest.
The judge has amended Bankman-Fried’s release conditions, citing risks associated with using encrypted messaging or call applications.
Bankman-Fried’s lawyers are negotiating his bail terms with prosecutors, and the judge has barred him from using encrypted messaging apps and contacting current or former FTX employees.
SBF’s lawyers requested an extension to the deadline for proposing new bail terms, which the judge denied. Bankman-Fried’s use of a VPN has raised concerns about the government’s ability to monitor his online activities.
He is currently under house arrest on a $250 million bond and faces several decades in jail if convicted. The negotiation of his bail terms continues, and it remains to be seen how this latest development will affect his case.
