Bankman-Fried’s use of VPN for Super Bowl leads to new bail restriction

A federal judge on Tuesday barred FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried from using virtual private networks (VPNs) while out on bail, after he used a private connection to watch the AFC and NFC championships and the Super Bowl.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) asked Judge Lewis Kaplan on Monday for additional time to discuss Bankman-Fried’s bail conditions, after the founder of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange was found to have used VPNs on Jan. 29 and Feb. 12 to access his NFL Game Pass international subscription.

The DOJ noted that while the use of a VPN is not inherently harmful, it can serve as a mechanism of encryption and block the government from seeing “which websites a user is visiting or what data is being sent and received online.”

VPNs can also be used to access international cryptocurrency exchanges that block U.S. users, the Justice Department added.

Bankman-Fried’s attorney argued in a response letter on Tuesday that his use of a VPN “does not implicate any of the concerns” raised by the DOJ but agreed with the request for additional time and said that Bankman-Fried would not use a VPN in the meantime.

Kaplan on Tuesday granted the two parties a brief extension through Wednesday and amended Bankman-Fried’s bail conditions to include a ban on VPNs.

This is the second time that Bankman-Fried’s bail conditions have been adjusted since he posted bail in late December. He was barred earlier this month from contacting current and former employees and using encrypted messaging apps amid concerns about witness tampering.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.