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US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

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Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#21

Post by flerchin »

vmception wrote: post #11
flerchin wrote: post #6

I would love to hear from Mr Griffith's perspective on this. 5 years in prison is a BFD. I wonder how the arrest went down, why he took a plea, what the details of his presentation were, so many things.

> I wonder how the arrest went down At the airport upon return > Why he took a plea Because the prosecutor would ask for way more prison time otherwise, the US International Emergency Economic Powers Act charge was pretty solid > what the details of his presentation were Information the North Koreans could have found already, even with their limited internet

You have any links for those answers? I appreciate them.

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#23

Post by orangepurple »

ricochet11 wrote: post #18

This is so sad, how does locking him up for 5 years really helps anyone? or keep anyone safer? He did something stupid maybe, but his work was exploring how digital systems can help bring peace to the world, and he thought a good place for that to happen is NK, so who doesn't agree with that? None of the information he presented was secret, it was all publicly available. For comparison here is a company that actually…

It is obvious that the US penal system is designed for retribution not rehabilitation. Furthermore, you are not allowed to do anything important unless you are affiliated with the Party.

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#24

Post by beebmam »

ricochet11 wrote: post #18

This is so sad, how does locking him up for 5 years really helps anyone? or keep anyone safer? He did something stupid maybe, but his work was exploring how digital systems can help bring peace to the world, and he thought a good place for that to happen is NK, so who doesn't agree with that? None of the information he presented was secret, it was all publicly available. For comparison here is a company that actually…

North Korea actively threatens the use of nuclear weapons, offensively, against its neighbors and enemies. There should be no sympathy for this regime or anyone who collaborates with it.

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#25

Post by tmpz22 »

pen2l wrote: post #20

Did his PhD at Caltech under Christof Koch in computation and neural systems, was a super talented mathematician... and then he gets involved in crypto. I remember conversations with friends only a few years ago in which we would lament how young brilliant minds were eventually going on to work on adtech, and we would sigh and hope that the tide would turn. Boy, we were not prepared for this tide. Anyway, the NYSD re…

All that education and they still didn’t have the common sense to maybe not go to North Korea

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#26

Post by orangepurple »

vmception wrote: post #10
SkyBelow wrote: post #4

Could someone explain why this wouldn't fall under freedom of speech? Sounds like there were not government secrets nor did the expert have a security clearance that would have held him to a higher standard. If Tor researchers gave a presentation at a security conference on how to install Tor, knowing full well that some would use it to engage in the proliferation of CSAM, would that also not fall under free speech?

If the security conference was in a place sanctioned under the US International Emergency Economic Powers Act, then yes. He applied for a travel exemption, and was denied. He went anyway. He was charged with that, not the speech. That's how its enforced, for this specific reason. Regulate the intermediary to control the desired behavior. Don't regulate the individual with first amendment rights.

The USA junta will punish you if you go against them, constitution be damned, the judges are on their side.

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#27

Post by Barrin92 »

ricochet11 wrote: post #18

This is so sad, how does locking him up for 5 years really helps anyone? or keep anyone safer? He did something stupid maybe, but his work was exploring how digital systems can help bring peace to the world, and he thought a good place for that to happen is NK, so who doesn't agree with that? None of the information he presented was secret, it was all publicly available. For comparison here is a company that actually…

>but his work was exploring how digital systems can help bring peace to the world, and he thought a good place for that to happen is NK, so who doesn't agree with that?

Anyone who understands that trying to transfer technology to North Korea that aids in avoiding sanctions is not going to contribute to peace. That a bank got away with doing something similar is of course equally stupid and hypocritical, but doesn't really change the point.

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#28

Post by ricochet11 »

beebmam wrote: post #24
ricochet11 wrote: post #18

This is so sad, how does locking him up for 5 years really helps anyone? or keep anyone safer? He did something stupid maybe, but his work was exploring how digital systems can help bring peace to the world, and he thought a good place for that to happen is NK, so who doesn't agree with that? None of the information he presented was secret, it was all publicly available. For comparison here is a company that actually…

North Korea actively threatens the use of nuclear weapons, offensively, against its neighbors and enemies. There should be no sympathy for this regime or anyone who collaborates with it.

How do we go about improving relations? How do we improve the lives of the people living under that awful regime? How do we give people ways to exit and escape, and have access to the freedoms we have?

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#29

Post by endisneigh »

beebmam wrote: post #24
ricochet11 wrote: post #18

This is so sad, how does locking him up for 5 years really helps anyone? or keep anyone safer? He did something stupid maybe, but his work was exploring how digital systems can help bring peace to the world, and he thought a good place for that to happen is NK, so who doesn't agree with that? None of the information he presented was secret, it was all publicly available. For comparison here is a company that actually…

North Korea actively threatens the use of nuclear weapons, offensively, against its neighbors and enemies. There should be no sympathy for this regime or anyone who collaborates with it.

Agreed. And once we finish with North Korea we should turn our eyes to the United States, the country that developed and currently only user of nuclear weapons in combat.

No sympathy for users of nuclear weapons or any country who threatens its use!

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