Yes, I have seen this and we had discussions with nostr:npub1kmwdmhuxvafg05dyap3qmy42jpwztrv9p0uvey3a8803ahlwtmnsnhxqk9 sometime ago about that risks. But they as financial business representatives are doing classical preventative steps if they want to operate legally according the #AML regulation in the #EU. 

Unfortunately, nobody wants to support financially advocacy in defense of freedom tech in the #EU. It is a sad fact. The only donors you may expect to support such work are in the US, like nostr:npub15879mltlln6k8jy32k6xvagmtqx3zhsndchcey8gjyectwldk88sq5kv0n nostr:npub1hyqrsvl6hle8r5rc9cpshesm0mpcee75tgde4p5lhke5h83dyqqqdwk7cp nostr:npub1kp7jzme0qs3wcqjjmkq6v5fm359sclhc22glhadgtmerlr0h37nsn8487l nostr:npub1hkt89m0kuhn0ksvg3cm84syl2cr209es6jnwx7r3ahynu45me5zshzltpw . 

Moreover, I know that many EU bitcoiners find our work educating policymakers about the need to protect #freedomtech and analytical reports on regulatory threats boring and unnecessary. 

More boring still, they find our calls to protect the #privacy of payments and communication. 

But what's happening with #Geyser is just the tip of the iceberg, and this trend is only going to accelerate if WE don't stop it. 

We predicted such developments back in April : https://en.odfoundation.eu/content/uploads/2024/04/18.04.2024_btc-coalition-submission_eng.pdf

There is no one else who will protect your and my #privacy. That's why it's critical to join forces to preserve and expand a safe environment for developers, investors, and users of freedom technologies.

Also, I find hopes of the ‘living in a parallel society’ approach a bit utopian, because I have been working constantly for 15 years now with activist groups in authoritarian countries, where by default all dissenters survive in an exclusionary/parallel society regime. It is not their choice, but rather punishment - #exclusion. They survive on the support of Western partners and freedom technology. 

But in authoritarian countries freedomtech is not created. There is no one there to fund it, and if someone tries - I recommend reading our recent reports on what happens to such donors: 
https://en.odfoundation.eu/content/uploads/2024/07/05.07.2024_report_mendygaziyev_eng_updated.pdf 

This is why I think it is crucial to build support with politicians, and to educate people in general about the importance of protecting freedoms and privacy technology. 

Because (1) any business that requires investment and (2) any developer of privacy tools that is not just air-fuelled - will be under regulatory pressure with the current dynamics of AML/CFT regulations in western countries. Even worse situation in the rest/non-democratic world. 

So unless there is a serious joint effort to protect the privacy of communications and payments in the EU - the situation will only get worse and will spread from the EU to other jurisdictions too. 

#Nostr #relay operators have the same vulnerability - they could be pressured into ‘deplatforming’ too.