With child abuse images in block chain code, ownership of bitcoin now illegal.

[Goonie]

Child abuse imagery found within bitcoin's blockchain

If correct then it is a now a criminal offence to own bitcoin in both the UK and USA. So if you own any either hand it in to the police, or delete and hope they don’t find you.

 

[Rion]

That's one way to get rid of the competition.

 

[Radagast]

Story from The Register: Bitcoin's blockchain: Potentially a hazardous waste dump of child abuse, malware, etc

 

[Goonie]

To quote from article
"Since all blockchain data is downloaded and persistently stored by users, they are liable for any objectionable content added to the blockchain by others," the paper says. "Consequently, it would be illegal to participate in a blockchain-based systems as soon as it contains illegal content."

And so ownership of bitcoin or other currencies with the same flaw is illegal.

 

[super animator]

does this mean that computer parts will finaly go down?

 

[ThatRobGuy]

I think they're sensationalizing it a bit.

As someone who's spent his entire career in the IT realm, and has friends in the data forensics field (both in a private sector and public capacity), the risk of getting sent to jail for that particular reason is very unlikely.

Even in cases not pertaining to bitcoin, where users are specifically trying to get that sort of content, it's very hard to bust them because you have to be able to A) prove intent, then B) prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they were the ones sitting at the keyboard.

That's why busts for that sort of thing either happen due to someone uncovering it through non-tech means (spotting it on someone else's PC and calling the police), or through very sophisticated means where police infiltrate groups or prop up fake sites, or temporarily leave sites running after they take down the owners, and convince them to provide personally identifiable information like credit card numbers.

 

[Brent W]

And so ownership of bitcoin or other currencies with the same flaw is illegal.

No it isn't. Taking what you just said, it would only be illegal if you downloaded the entire blockchain.

Owning Bitcoin doesn't require you to download the entire blockchain. Please understand what you are reading before saying something that is so easily proven false as this. This is simply ignorance on the subject and fear mongering.

 

[Goonie]

No it isn't. Taking what you just said, it would only be illegal if you downloaded the entire blockchain.

Owning Bitcoin doesn't require you to download the entire blockchain. Please understand what you are reading before saying something that is so easily proven false as this. This is simply ignorance on the subject and fear mongering.

"Since all blockchain data is downloaded and persistently stored by users, they are liable for any objectionable content added to the blockchain by others," the paper says. "Consequently, it would be illegal to participate in a blockchain-based systems as soon as it contains illegal content."
Intersting since that is the opposite of what the researchers into the subject say.

 

[Goonie]

I think they're sensationalizing it a bit.

As someone who's spent his entire career in the IT realm, and has friends in the data forensics field (both in a private sector and public capacity), the risk of getting sent to jail for that particular reason is very unlikely.

Even in cases not pertaining to bitcoin, where users are specifically trying to get that sort of content, it's very hard to bust them because you have to be able to A) prove intent, then B) prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they were the ones sitting at the keyboard.

That's why busts for that sort of thing either happen due to someone uncovering it through non-tech means (spotting it on someone else's PC and calling the police), or through very sophisticated means where police infiltrate groups or prop up fake sites, or temporarily leave sites running after they take down the owners, and convince them to provide personally identifiable information like credit card numbers.

Indeed, but if the authorities take notice of this paper they will be legally required to demand illegal content be removed from the block chain.

 

[Brent W]

"Since all blockchain data is downloaded and persistently stored by users, they are liable for any objectionable content added to the blockchain by others," the paper says. "Consequently, it would be illegal to participate in a blockchain-based systems as soon as it contains illegal content."
Intersting since that is the opposite of what the researchers into the subject say.

If you download the entire blockchain, then yes the article is correct.

I don't need you to quote what is in the article. I need you to understand that what you said here is not true:

And so ownership of bitcoin or other currencies with the same flaw is illegal.

You do not have to download the blockchain to own Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. I own Bitcoin and I do not have the blockchain downloaded anywhere.

 

[Brent W]

Also, if you'd like to read the entire report, feel free to do so here: https://fc18.ifca.ai/preproceedings/6.pdf

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Indeed, but if the authorities take notice of this paper they will be legally required to demand illegal content be removed from the block chain.

Possibly, but that's different than saying "it's a criminal offense to own bitcoin" and "turn it in to the police or hope they don't find you"

If they had the resources for such an endeavor, they'd be going after the people actually exchanging in that specific content, and not looking to go out and try to bust people who have inadvertently downloaded part of the block chain (containing objectionable content they were unaware of) to some of their own physical storage.

 

[Goonie]

Possibly, but that's different than saying "it's a criminal offense to own bitcoin" and "turn it in to the police or hope they don't find you"

If they had the resources for such an endeavor, they'd be going after the people actually exchanging in that specific content, and not looking to go out and try to bust people who have inadvertently downloaded part of the block chain (containing objectionable content they were unaware of) to some of their own physical storage.

Indeed.

 

[Nithavela]

What a genius way to destroy a budding technology.