Having and using a Revolut account for many people is tantamount to being inaccessible, e.g. to the courts. Over the years, fintech has been considered, among others, for a way to avoid possible bailiff execution. Now an Irish court has issued a ruling that could affect customers around the world.
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Apparently, the case concerned a niche situation: Internet pirates who participated in the practice of watching paid channels for a fraction of the nominal subscription. In practice, the court's ruling may translate into further cases in which Revolut will be forced to disclose its customers' data.
Does Revolut share data with the police or courts? We explain
As the website bezPrawk.pl explains, so far users felt anonymous when paying for illegal access to paid channels. Thanks to the cooperation of fintechs with the justice system, their data may reach copyright owners.
This is what happened to 304 users and 10 resellers associated with the “IPTV is Easy” pirate platform. At the end of March, the Irish Supreme Court ordered Revolut to disclose customer data.
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This is the first such case in Ireland where not only operators but also ordinary subscribers are held liable. And it certainly won't be the last, as the SKY platform has already announced that it will take legal action against people using illegal content.
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This case could have serious consequences for users of piracy services across Europe. Mass data acquisition by companies such as Revolut opens the way to extensive legal actions.
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As the bezPrawk.pl website explains, the case from Ireland may become a precedent for other countries where similar actions are already being taken, including: in Italy and France. The law is becoming more and more effective in prosecuting not only distributors, but also recipients of illegal services.
Does Revolut protect against bailiffs? We explain
Revolut, as a foreign financial institution, is currently not covered by the Polish OGNIVO system, which makes it difficult for the bailiff to quickly seize the funds.
The Ministry of Finance itself admits that funds accumulated in foreign accounts, including Revolut, are not subject to the standard seizure mechanism. Revolut, as a foreign entity, is not in the OGNIVO system, so the bailiff does not see these accounts automatically.
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This does not mean, however, that client funds are invisible to bailiffs or tax authorities. Revolut does not provide protection against financial liability.
The applicable regulations provide for various scenarios for the operation of enforcement authorities. If the account number and the appropriate legal basis are obtained, the bailiff may try to seize the funds, although the procedure is more complicated. The possibility of seizing funds depends on the specific legal situation, type of debt and possible international cooperation mechanisms.
