• Prosecutors in a financial fraud case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried are attempting to persuade the judge to restrict his use of electronic devices.
• It has been revealed that SBF used a virtual private network (VPN) to watch the Super Bowl through a foreign subscription service he had purchased before his arrest.
• Prosecutors are skeptical and argue that VPNs are commonly used to access international crypto exchanges that are blocked in the United States.

Prosecutors Seek Restrictions on Former FTX CEO’s Electronic Devices

Prosecutors in the financial fraud case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) are attempting to persuade the judge to restrict his use of electronic devices.

Revelations of VPN Use

It has been revealed that SBF used a virtual private network (VPN) to watch the Super Bowl through a foreign subscription service he had purchased before his arrest.

Government Skepticism Over VPN Use

Prosecutors, however, are skeptical and argue that VPNs are commonly used to access international crypto exchanges that are blocked in the United States. They have raised concerns over SBF’s use of a VPN and argued that some individuals use them „to conceal the fact that they are accessing international cryptocurrency exchanges.“

Defense Team Argues VPN Use Was for Harmless Purposes

The defense team, however, argues that SBF only used it for harmless purposes—namely watching football games via an NFL Game Pass international subscription he had previously purchased when living abroad. Judge Lewis Kaplan is considering whether or not to change SBF’s bail conditions as prosecutors have complained about his use of a VPN.

Judge Considers Restricting Electronic Device Use

The court has already prohibited SBF from using end-to-end encrypted messaging services like Signal, and Everdell and Cohen have stated that SBF will not be using a VPN until Judge Kaplan makes a decision regarding restrictions on electronic device usage.