“They said that we had violated state and federal law. They threatened us with civil and criminal charges. 20 years in prison.”
Fizz, a Stanford student startup, sold its anonymous app as “100% secure.” A few students got full read and write access to every user and post in one Friday night. They disclosed it privately with an embargo, and Fizz answered with a threat of 20 years in prison unless they stayed silent forever. The startup’s first security investment was a lawyer, and it still lost to the EFF working pro bono.