NFT drop goes Awry as InfoSec Community responds with Major Backlash

Christmas day, an unauthorized NFT drop collapsed due to conflicting takedowns and piracy. The drop celebrated infosec (Information Security) pioneers and was released by a group called ItsBlockchain. The collection was known as Cipher Punks. Included in the drop were 46 portraits of distinct figures with ten copies of each token.

Upon being released, the value of the drop was roughly $4,000. However, almost immediately, the infosec community raised objections. One of the main concerns was portraits having misspelled several names, including EFF speech activist Jillian York and OpenPGP creator Jon Callas. Furthermore, the collection included figures who have been ostracized for harmful personal bahevior, such as Jacob Appelbaum and Richard Stallman.

On Twitter, Jillian York posted a link to her portrait and stated:

“I don’t approve of this whatsoever and would like it removed.”

Last Tuesday morning, the ItsBLockchain team announced that it would cease the distribution of the collection and will be offering refunds to any purchasers. The team will also reimburse any gas (transactions) fees involved in the transfer.

“We were not aware of the likeness laws in NFTs as the market is not regulated,” the post reads. “It’s our mistake. We have to own up to it.”

Following the post from ItsBlockchain, OpenSea has removed the collection from its platform.

Source: The Verge