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this post was submitted on 24 Jul 2024
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Privacy
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A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.
Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.
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Anonymity is very important.
Here's a example why, that recently happened to a workmate:
He applied for a mortgage to buy a house. The application was denied 3 times, despite his having been employed at the same place for 20 years, paid all his bills on time and never received so much as a parking ticket. Finally, after insisting heavily and threatening to sue, his bank provided the reason why: his purchasing habits included too much alcohol.
Or said another way: the bank watched what he purchased when doing his groceries for years and quietly classified him as a wino and potential deadbeat.
I can tell you, when I do my groceries, and back when I still smoked, I never paid for alcohol or tobacco with anything other than cash, for that very reason. The only things I pay for with plastic paint the portrait of a boring working stiff with no habits out of the ordinary. For the rest, it's cash-only.
And if you want another example of why anonymity is important: a few years ago, I sought the help of an underground surgeon to perform a certain type of surgery on me that my stupid doctors here refused to perform, despite my quality of life going to shit (it's a long story...)
Guess what: underground surgeons don't take credit cards. The man changed my life for the better but I certainly don't want my local health insurance to know about it. Was it illegal? Hell yes. Was it justified? Hell yes. Legal and right are two different things.
And similarly, I expected many women post Roe v. Wade would like to have the opportunity to get an abortion out of state anonymously without going to jail.
That's why anonymous payments are essential: they are the last rampart between you and unjust laws and prejudice.
I didn't say anything against anonymity. It is very important for me. It's just fighting anonymity makes sense and everyone here knows why the government does it but fighting cash itself is kinda hilarious. That's what I wanted to point out. Killing it will kill several core human rights. Also that "purchase habits" thing is highly illegal here where I live afaik and I can only imagine how crucial anonymity is in "worse" countries. Tbh sometimes I can't even believe what people say about their countries. It's going beyond fantasy at this point.
Beware on your next trip to Netherlands, where some bars refuse cash and conceal their contempt for cash (reference)
I just linked your post from that one because it fits well with the story.
(edit) BTW, I would like to see your workmate’s story published in a blog that serves better as a reference. It needs more exposure in a venue that’s not quasi temporary. I would even print hardcopies of it to distribute to cashless bar owners. So a nicely typeset PDF would be useful.
You're confused. You talk about EU but bring up an example from your broken af dumbfuckistan.
It's illegal to discriminate like this in the EU and the credit score bs doesn't exist, and everyone with a stable job gets their house mortgage.
This new measure will only stop criminals and money laundering or tax evasion. It will have absolutely zero impact on your regular citizens.
That happened in Finland last year. But nice try.
And if you think Euro banks don't profile their customers like motherfuckers like in the US, you're delusional. Europe isn't the land of the Care Bears.
As almost all laws of this nature, no. It will harm innocent citizens.
I'd rather see money laundering and tax evasion continue than my privacy infringed.