We are excited to kick off our new series of BC4EU Policy Papers with this first publication that focuses on #privacy! The aim of this series of educational papers is to raise awareness and help develop a basic understanding of these important topics for our economy and society.

These policy papers are being drafted through a joint effort between our members, with the support of our Advisory Council and other external experts providing their knowledge on these key topics.
This first paper on privacy is also extremely timely in light of the ongoing debates related to the criminal cases opened against developers and founders of privacy-enhancing technologies and decentralised protocols.

As outlined in our paper, we believe it is paramount to remember that privacy is a fundamental principle and a completely legitimate use-case. Especially in the EU, where we have an extensive privacy legal framework (see #GDPR and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights), the development of privacy enhancing technologies (#PETs) is a natural extension of the EU’s commitment as these embody principles of privacy and data protection. Moreover, when looking at the important role played by developers of open-source and decentralised software in advancing technological innovation, we feel the urge to reiterate that developers should not be penalized for creating privacy tools and technologies that are neutral and autonomous by design. Placing liability on these developers would not only hinder technological progress in PETs but could have a broader chilling effect on innovation across the tech sector.

Our next educational papers will be touching upon topics such as tokenisation, the fight against financial crime, non-financial use-cases of blockchain technology, and many other relevant topics for the blockchain & web3 ecosystems.

If you want to be part of this initiative and support these efforts, get in touch and join us!

secretariat@blockchain4europe.eu