Topic: Bitcoin, the UK, and encryption. (Read 2734 times)

Also because of the people there wanting to talk to you about their missing money?

https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/m.5743319

I've been thinking about this law for quite a while and a way out of this could be for a user to upload an encrypted copy of a key to an online server.

Each time the user wants the encrypted key back so they can locally decrypt it and then decrypt their data, they need to  make a declaration that states something like the required download is not under duress and will not be passed to a 3rd party.

I can't see how the police or even a court can compel you to lie, or, if the declaration is worded cleverly,  commit  a crime.

I'd much rather face a trial in the UK than Iran...

yep, UK = stay away
funny how far it's come.
i've lived in iran, and england is not far off.

Yes, I plan my IT stuff assuming seizure. Everything is encrypted and backed up in "the Cloud". Just the reality of refusing to fund the state. I suspect my time in the UK is drawing to a close.

I'm skating on thin ice in terms of de-anonymising myself as it is!

The UK police seize computers all the time, I know someone who got arrested for a drunken brawl and the police carried out a section 18 search of their uni housing and seized everyones laptop, took several weeks to return them too

what were the charges against you?
was it a drug charge or why did they want your computer?

If you set up your encryption properly you can always hand them the "key" anyway.

I've never done a hidden OS, I'm not sure if that utilises a dummy password also, but I did set up a hidden truecrypt volume on one computer that was seized. I gladly handed over the dummy password which opened a folder empty of anything except my CV and a video of me doing the helicopter dance.

The password was *fuckthepolice*

The helicopter dance is:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=The%20Helicopter%20Dance


This is a true story. I spent 4 months on remand and this story made me a hero on the block. Especially when I walked due to lack of evidence (not that there ever was any since I was innocent of course)

haha you're a riot.

op, yeah they can take your keys. it doesn't matter if they can't take your property or whatever since it's yet another piece of leverage that the police can use against you. once they have your keys, they can also take the funds from those keys and justify it with law (that's how the police operate). the thing is if you ever find yourself in these situations then don't give an inch, and use everything at your disposal to protect yourself. once you've given consent and compliance, you've opened yourself to be taken advantage of.

This is definitely one of those laws that sheeple think doesn't matter since they don't break the law.

If you have nothing to hide etc

I just love this law Jail time for forgetting a password nice!

It's OK they hardly ever use this law right? and if your not guilty of anything what's to worry about?

Its not like this law can be called upon whenever its needed or anything and lets be honest when have good honest folk ever been screwed by a government.

I'm an honest chap and  have no issue with my government installing telescreens into my own home.
No need for all that GCHQ camera hacking business just send the boys over and hook me up, I'll put the kettle on.



I feel much safer knowing my government has these kind of laws and is looking out for me.

Now you know to also encrypt your wallet.

a private key does not open documents or plans of terror.

the only "evidence" they can get is the proof that you own a certain public address as they are linked.

there is no way to alter that link so CPS can not say you have destroyed evidence by deleting files inside the private key, as thats not how bitcoin cryptography works.

again the only information during an investigation that they can gather is that you own the address. all other evidence about what and who yo have been trading with would come from third parties and blockchain analysis. so a private key is useless to them for investigative purposes.

so at stage one of the investigation a private key can stay your sole property and you have good reason not to hand it over. if however they find enough evidence to get an asset seizure order drawn up, then you hand over the private keys to the addresses that are mentioned in the request.

oh i forgot to mention. dont have funds in any public address you post on any communications. then leave it to them to prove the address that the funds moved to belongs to you. instead of a mixer address, a third party, etc.

and remember if they have enough evidence on you to start an investigation, then handing over privkeys to empty addresses is the least of your problems and secondly you have the right to remain silent. so dont tell them you own the other addresses, as you hopefully have not mentioned them in any communications they may have gathered. and leave them to prove otherwise

The CPS rarely don't bother if they think they can get an easy conviction. They're paper pushers just like the police and always looking to add to their targets.

Either way I don't see the fuss.

Even for a terror related incident the guy got 4 months.

If you're that worried about a few weeks in the nick you shouldn't be doing illegal things.

If you're not doing illegal things, I don't see why this would concern someone.

Refused: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/24/ripa_jfl/

The sentencing guidelines for RIPA say that it's a maximum of 2 years for refusing to give up a secret key. I wouldn't be surprised that if you've already been sentenced to 6 years for other offences then they wouldn't bother, especially as there is a chance it might be served concurrently anyway.

This one sentenced to 4 months.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10574309/Man-jailed-for-refusing-to-divulge-USB-password.html

You'd be eligible for home tagging after about 10 days.

basically this law is bullshit, and no one gets any real sentences over it, I wouldn't sweat.

Did they say they'd forgotten it or refused to give it up?

According to this it's 13 months

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_disclosure_law#United_Kingdom

Anyway 13 months in the UK you'd be out on home release in 2 months. big deal.

I'd rather spend 2 months in a UK nick than pay HMRC the tax I owe, lol

Probably because they were satisfied with the 6 years for everything else??

The longest custodial sentence for refusing to give up secret key that I have so far heard of was 9 months.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/teenager-jailed-after-police-find-vast-arsenal-of-guns-and-weapons-at-home-in-middlesex-9193554.html


Here you go.

Say you forgot it.

Kid was in the news for importing an AK47 just a few days ago, he "forgot" his encryption key to his laptop. No charges filed over the key.