Our phones spy on us. So do our TVS and our Google Homes and Alexas and...basically anything with an internet connection. It's getting to the point where it would be easier to list the stuff that isn't smuggling your data to the ever elusive cloud in the headquarters of insert mega corporation or BIG GOV'T AGENCY here
Well, now you can add the IRS to that list. We've all known for a while that they watch our bank accounts and scrutinize our tax returns and hold Stingray surveillance gear (http://fortune.com/2015/10/26/irs-spying-devices/) to ensure collection of their 'pound of flesh' from each and every American citizen (regardless of where in the world you live)...
But now they want a chunk of your crypto profits too, and I'm not just talking about Coinbase customers.
Back in August The Daily Beast dug into records, and discovered that greedy ol' Uncle Sam made a deal with Swiss crypto-spy "follow the money" company, Chainalysis.
The Daily Beast said:
In a letter to the IRS, the co-founder of Chainalysis says the company has information on 25 percent of all bitcoin addresses and that it deploys millions of tags to help track and identify transactions. Here is a screenshot of a paragraph from the letter
You can read more about it here: Fortune or here The Daily Beast.
In the meantime, though it's probably too late for most of us, when creating crypto accounts, it's best to use a different screen name every time - nothing that connects to your real world identity. Same goes for phone numbers - burner phones aren't too expensive. When it comes to IRS...I have no legal advice, or legal advice for you ;-) If you're really paranoid - I guess stick to peer to peer exchanges? Definitely do not get a fake ID. Even if it's really good and convincing....
What do you think about this whole fiasco ?
My new & 100% true disclaimer: I am a fictional character with no real life investments in BTC or any kind of crypto. Everything I write or say is totally made up and bears no resemblance to any person living or dead. It's all fiction. The End.