March 20, 2026
Audit asks passwords? Internet explodes
FSFE supporters affected: Payment provider Nexi cancelled us
Cut off and asked for “passwords”? Fans roast Nexi, crypto crew says “told you so”
TLDR: FSFE says payment provider Nexi canceled their account after they refused to share supporters’ login details, freezing 450 recurring donations. Commenters split: privacy advocates applaud the stand, crypto fans shout “use Bitcoin/Monero,” others question why any passwords would exist in plain text—spotlighting donor privacy and payment power dynamics.
Cue the popcorn: the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) says payment giant Nexi axed their 15-year relationship without warning after FSFE refused to hand over supporters’ usernames and passwords during a so-called risk audit. Result: more than 450 recurring donations suddenly stopped, and the internet is on fire.
Privacy hawks are cheering FSFE’s stance. One commenter praised them for “drawing the line,” while others asked the obvious: why would any group even have clear-text passwords? Confusion turned into disbelief, then into memes about audits that read like “hand us your keys, trust us bro.” At the same time, the crypto squad stormed in with victory laps: “This is why we need Bitcoin/Monero,” they chanted, pointing to a future where donations can’t be cut off by a middleman. Skeptics rolled eyes at the “magic internet money” solution, but the “told-you-so” energy was unmistakable.
Then came the Italian bureaucracy subplot. Some pinned the chaos on arcane, Italy-flavored paperwork and opaque regulations. Others kept the focus on Nexi’s comms: a deadline FSFE says it never got, followed by an abrupt contract cancellation. The mood? Half outraged, half “get the popcorn”—with a side of “always read your password storage policy,” and a dessert of crypto maximalists doing the touchdown dance.
Key Points
- •FSFE says Nexi terminated their contract without prior notice, stopping recurring credit card and direct debit donations.
- •More than 450 FSFE supporters with automatic renewals are affected; emails were sent to inform them.
- •FSFE reports Nexi requested supporters’ private data (understood as usernames and passwords); FSFE refused and sought clarification.
- •FSFE was told on 10 March that the contract was cancelled on 7 March for missing a deadline that FSFE says was not communicated, despite a 15‑year relationship.
- •FSFE has switched to a new payment provider, but existing recurring accounts cannot be migrated automatically and must be re‑set by donors.