The case of the United States v. Gratkowski has a great impact on the level of security considered compared to blockchain and cryptocurrencies. The decision of this court has established a legal precedent in the United States, affecting digital currency users and law enforcement agencies. One of the main points to remember in this case is the user of Blockchain and the Bitcoin cryptocurrency exchange has no strong expectations for security related to their transaction information.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled on the case, explained that blockchain trading files can access the public. Because Bitcoin works on a large public book, any transaction that takes place can be displayed for anyone who accesses the blockchain. Due to this opening, the court decided that users should not expect the privacy protection on the data they shared online. In other words, even if the user’s real name may not appear in the transaction, the fact that the information is displayed publicly to delete a strong complaint about security.
Another key legal point from the case is the application of the “third-party doctrine.” This legal principle stipulates that when individuals voluntarily share their information with third parties, they abandon their privacy on this information. In this case, the court concluded that the defendant, Gratkowski, voluntarily shared information using both the Bitcoin network and Coinbase exchange. Therefore, he could not request a security violation because he was ready to share his trading data with external services.
Perhaps even more important, this decision for organizations to enforce freely law when accessing cryptocurrency data. According to this decision, police and investigators are authorized to obtain information or exchange blockchain without a search order. This significantly improves the ability to monitor and investigate criminal activities related to digital money. However, this also increases security issues, especially for users who choose cryptocurrencies due to financial freedom or data protection.
