11 September 2019 08:55, UTC
Localbitcoins posted a banner on its website stating that Tor users face an increased risk of theft:
The motivation for the message is currently unclear; the company executives have not provided comments yet. The screenshot of the banner was posted on Twitter by Richard BENSBERG, a transaction compliance expert, where it quickly received the feedback of other users. According to most comments, the warning unfairly evaluates Tor’s qualities, as other browsers like FireFox are vulnerable as well.
The situation occurred against the backdrop of increasing tension between Localbitcoins and the community: cryptocurrency proponents criticize the service due to the ever-growing demands for identification. In June, the platform announced that each user should provide personal information in order to trade, which, according to many, is contrary to the ideas of Bitcoin itself.
The company claims it has no choice but to request data in order to continue to operate in jurisdictions such as the European Union, which places high demands on AML and KYC rules. Despite resentment over anonymity, Localbitcoins is still highly popular, especially in regions like Venezuela.