Link: https://fsfe.org/news/2026/news-20260316-01.en.html

Over the past few months, our former payment provider Nexi S.p.A. (“Nexi”) requested access to private data, which we understood to be specifically the usernames and passwords of our supporters. We have refused this request. All our attempts to clarify Nexi’s request, or to understand how their need for such information was necessary and legal, were met with what we consider to be vague and unsatisfactory explanations relating to a general need for risk analysis.

Subsequently, we found ourselves unable to receive credit card donations through Nexi’s system. In the afternoon of 10 March, we were further informed that our contract had been cancelled a few days prior on 7 March, due to our supposed failure to meet their deadline to fulfil their request. This deadline was not communicated to us beforehand, despite us having been Nexi’s customer for the past 15 years.

This is completely crazy! As 450 supporters are affected, that is a huge amount of donations that were cut off!

Report them to the authorities. This is extortion of private data and needs to be investigated.

Nexi ratings:
BBB- (Fitch, 2024)

Ba1 (Moody's, 2025

BBB- S&P, 2025)

Even the rating whores think Nexi is trash.

https://www.nexigroup.com/en/media-relations/press-contacts/

I sent them an angry email and you should too.

The authorities are probably the ones compelling them to collect this information.

The decisions that Nexi has made are incomprehensible to us. Over the last months, as part of a security audit that Nexi claimed to be conducting, we have provided them with large amounts of the FSFE’s financial documentation, which even included private information of our executive staff. We have answered all of their questions. But we have to draw a line when private companies like Nexi demand access to the sensitive and private data of our supporters.

Almost sounds like they're being socially engineered by an impostor. Bizarre behaviour.

In which case Nexi should be able to state clearly that they are required to ask for this data by law.

Yes they should, however often they are not allowed to disclose such information. Over the last couple of decades, governments have realised that they can sidestep onerous legal principles such as innocent until proven guilty by requiring financial services companies to enforce KYC rules and the like. These rules were sold to us as a way to prevent the mega rich from dodging tax and organised crime from freely spending and moving their money, but surprise surprise governments have no qualms using them against people who are not so clearly in the wrong.

Nexi seems like a really bad company, at least it became one...

So Nexi can't justify it. FSFe would be entirely within their rights to seek a judicial path.

I'd happily contribute towards that case.

Nexi sounds hackable and flush with money for a scam audit. I sincerity hope no randsomeware befalls them.

I’m curious. Can you elaborate, pretty please?

Do they accept xmr for donations?

Also feel free to make an article here, if you have the time

It would have happened, as many people would donate through that method lol. There are multiple methods available for donation

specifically the usernames and passwords of our supporters

If FSFE is even able to provide passwords for user accounts in the first place, they're doing password security wrong.

Having gotten that off my chest, of there is nothing missing from this story and it's a complete picture of events, Nexi needs to be investigated for extortion.

Agreed.

The MasterCard backlash playbook seems to have done well.

The authorities should not be asking for passwords. FSF should not have those to give.

Here's a list of usernames, and here's a list of salted and hashed passwords. There is no correlation between the usernames and the passwords. Each password salt is unique.

I'm curious what do you think would have happened if XMR was used instead?

It would not have??

Also note that Retoswap is the only decentralized XMR exchange afaik, so at least the buying of XMR nearly always requires KYC.

Also note that XMR donations cannot be tax reducted and maybe the Verein would also get legal issues as the paperwork doesnt exist.

Also note that Retoswap is the only decentralized XMR exchange afaik, so at least the buying of XMR nearly always requires KYC.

why are you spreading misinformation?

Also note that XMR donations cannot be tax reducted

It's peer to peer, that's not a collateral damage.. It's a good thing

Please just shut up if you cant contribute anything useful...

If it is not then please name alternatives.

If you know how to tax deduct monero payments, please give examples.

go back to your office, if not here you go

https://apply.intelligencecareers.gov/job-listings?agency=NSA