The United States Department of Justice has proposed new bail conditions for former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), requesting he is restricted from using smartphones, tablets, computers, and other devices that allow chat and voice communication.
The proposal restricts his communication to a flip phone or other non-smartphone with either no internet capabilities or internet capabilities disabled.
The proposal was submitted to District Judge Lewis Kaplan of the Southern District of New York, requesting to make the temporary bail conditions recently imposed permanent.
The temporary terms include no contact or communication with current or former employees of FTX or Alameda Research, except in the presence of counsel. The proposal also restricts the use of any encrypted or ephemeral call or messaging application, as well as a VPN.
Bankman-Fried’s access to websites would also be restricted to a whitelist of pre-approved pages, which includes YouTube, Wikipedia, Etherscan, NFL, DoorDash, Netflix, and government websites, among others.
Furthermore, Bankman-Fried’s laptop would be monitored by security software that will log his online activity.
Additionally, the proposal notes that the defendant will not object to the installation of court-authorized pen registers on his phone number, Gmail account, and internet service. Those pen register orders will be sought by the Government and maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Bankman-Fried’s $250 million bail has been under scrutiny since February 9, after he was found to have contacted potential witnesses on his case.
Prosecutors also accused him of using a VPN on two occasions, on January 29 and February 12, resulting in a temporary ban on its use. The proposal, believed to have been negotiated with his defense team, was submitted to the court by attorney Damian Williams on behalf of the parties.
