Users of cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash sued the U.S. Treasury Department for imposing sanctions on the service, claiming that the open-source software ban violates the U.S. Constitution.
On Wednesday, May 24, six Tornado Cash users demanded that the U.S. Treasury Department lift sanctions on the cryptomixer because the agency has no authority to impose a ban on use of the platform and the government is abusing its authority.
The initiative was sponsored by the Coinbase cryptocurrency exchange.
Plaintiffs argue that imposing sanctions on Tornado Cash violates First Amendment freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
Therefore, sanctions on the open-source platform violate the basic rights of U.S. citizens.
The plaintiffs deny claims that any owner of TORN crypto-assets is considered a member of the Tornado Cash organization.
The complaint notes that under the provision of the law that was used to sanction the cryptomixer, blocking can only be imposed on property.
However, the privacy software may not be owned, controlled, or altered by any person.
No one can control the platform – this applies to the founders, developers and owners of TORN, the complaint states.
Last year, the U.S. Treasury Department blacklisted Tornado Cash, claiming the platform was used for money laundering and terrorist financing.
Alexey Pertsev, the developer of the Tornado Cash protocol, was arrested in the Netherlands.
In April it became known that Pertsev would be placed under house arrest pending the outcome of the investigation.