People need privacy for different reasons. Some people need to hide their transactions from an oppressive government. Others need a way to transact in politically disfavored industries or jurisdictions. Others desire to simply not link their KYC identity (from an exchange like nostr:npub1tftc33ttam85wraffce62cgtvvjrmttquqlv6a0agtfm5nl4vues82xar5)

with future purchases at a legitimate retailer. Personally, I fall into that latter category. Using #Bitcoin primarily as a savings technology and Store of Value with nostr:npub1s0vtkgej33n7ec4d7ycxmwt78up8hpfa30d0yfksrshq7t82mchqynpq6j, I have been reluctant to spend any of it on things like coffee. When I have spent it, I wanted a cash-like instrument that kept my purchases private. That was the whole point of using it for privacy-enhancing technologies like nostr:npub168euw93e4cam59llcmydav0akwjk2p4nfy3p85pn22xv9y2jxuzq4s9uaw and nostr:npub1vr2nva0s0hhfulthjy8053rg9kruk5erzwaxdw85gjwkfytj994sgudzvx etc., or supporting non-profits, as nostr:npub1trr5r2nrpsk6xkjk5a7p6pfcryyt6yzsflwjmz6r7uj7lfkjxxtq78hdpu points out.

Since the DOJ now has the whirlpooled XPUBs, they can probably link my UTXOs to those transactions… if they really wanted to. Will they? I never bought illegal drugs or laundered illicit activities or supported child pornography. Should I personally be worried that my only “crime” here was using #Samourai to break the link between a KYC exchange so that data brokers and advertisers would not be able to track and monetize my purchase history? Probably not. But what about other people around the world whose privacy requirements are greater than mine? There are people for whom this event may cause life-altering consequences.

I’ll be okay though. But, perhaps I’m just attempting to cope with the fact that the privacy I spent *considerable* time, effort, and Sats for is now for naught.

#Privacy is not a crime. It is a fundamental human right that must be defended, globally, and the only reason I’m hopeful is because people like nostr:npub1qny3tkh0acurzla8x3zy4nhrjz5zd8l9sy9jys09umwng00manysew95gx , nostr:npub12rv5lskctqxxs2c8rf2zlzc7xx3qpvzs3w4etgemauy9thegr43sf485vg, nostr:npub1s05p3ha7en49dv8429tkk07nnfa9pcwczkf5x5qrdraqshxdje9sq6eyhe, nostr:npub10pensatlcfwktnvjjw2dtem38n6rvw8g6fv73h84cuacxn4c28eqyfn34f nostr:npub1tr4dstaptd2sp98h7hlysp8qle6mw7wmauhfkgz3rmxdd8ndprusnw2y5g and nostr:npub15c88nc8d44gsp4658dnfu5fahswzzu8gaxm5lkuwjud068swdqfspxssvx are working on projects that will help.