SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce emphasized the importance of protecting transaction privacy, particularly in the context of financial and peer-to-peer transactions. She advocated for concrete measures to safeguard individuals' ability to communicate and transfer value privately, calling for a reexamination of the Bank Secrecy Act laws. Peirce described privacy as a fundamental pillar of human dignity and stressed that it should be the default in communication and transactions. Her remarks have been recognized as forward-thinking and aligned with American values, highlighting technologies like zero-knowledge proofs as potential solutions. Meanwhile, concerns about privacy and free speech have been raised internationally, particularly in the UK, where the rollout of age verification measures has restricted anonymous access to online communities, including LGBTQ+, political, and public health groups. Critics argue that the UK’s Online Safety Act enables censorship and that similar regulations, such as the EU Digital Services Act, are expanding age verification and content moderation requirements, raising fears about increased online surveillance and restrictions on civil liberties.