this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2024
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Privacy

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Privacy is the ability for an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively.

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[–] NIB@lemmy.world 21 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (6 children)

Sweden is a mostly cashless society. Let me try to respond to those points

  1. In case of domestic violence, you go to the police.

  2. You can still give individual people money with things like Swish. Yes, even "homeless" people have swish and they use it. Kids of all ages can have swish.

  3. It costs 0(for individuals) or 10-30 cents(for companies) to transact on swish and minimum transaction is basically 10cents(1sek).

There are privacy issues and it is kinda controlled by banks. Maybe eventually things like digital euro can improve on that in the future. You can have an anonymous digital payment system with near 0 fees, it is just that the governments arent incentivized to do it. Thats where cryptocurrency could fit, if it wasnt a pump and dump, to the moon hellhole.

[–] englislanguage@lemmy.sdf.org 32 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (2 children)

Let me try to respond back:

  1. Depending on your situation, your identity, your society, you cannot always rely on the police helping you. There are lots of documented cases of discrimination (e.g. racism) at police institutions in all kinds of regions across the globe. The companies probably don't want to delete the data any time soon, so there is a chance that this data persists for decades. What if your country chances and starts discriminating or harassing whatever group you belong to? Can you guarantee that your government/society won't flip the switch on any group of society within their lifetime? Can you guarantee that nobody ever wants to visit a country which their group will be discriminated or persecuted?
  2. If the homeless person does not own a smartphone, how do they receive money on their Swish account, yet create a swish account? How does a person without documents create a swish account?
  3. In your case, Swish seems to be a digital gatekeeper. What prevents them from going rogue, increasing prices or discriminating people? I recommended reading Jaron Lanier's Gadget for understanding the power of digital monopolies.

If the first point does not convince you, here are 2 examples:

  • gay dating apps: It repeatedly happened that information from gay dating apps were leaked, sold or extorted to bad governments. Those governments discriminated or persecuted, in some cases killed people just for being homosexual. Chances are high that a gay person has some digital traces to that, e.g. in Swish. Cashless puts them even more at risk in countries like Egypt. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2017/apr/03/jailed-for-using-grindr-homosexuality-in-egypt
  • In the 1930s, a lot of Jews in Europe were identified through state documents which (unnecessarily) mentioned their religion. In some locations, brave people protected them by destroying, hiding or faking state documents.

In other words: If your society changes, any data that exists may be turned against you, even costing your life and the lives of your closest people. Avoiding to have this data saves lives and protects minorities.

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 9 points 5 months ago

If your society changes

This is why I know that I'll end up on a list if things go as poorly as I expect in the USA during my lifetime.

[–] NIB@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Swish is partly owned by the Central Bank of Sweden(which is 100% state owned) so it is basically state owned. But as with the digital euro, the private banks play a big part and atm are needed in order to facilitate the digital transactions. This could change in the future.

Your points are societal points and not currency related points. You are right, there are significant issues with swish, you basically need to be a swedish citizen(have a "personal number"). A lot of things in Sweden are gatekeeped by needing a "personal number". This is an obstacle even for other EU(Schengen) europeans.

Societies are built with the majority in mind. There are holes that need to be fixed. But the existence of holes does not mean that they cant be fixed.

As far as privacy is concerned, you are right, this is a big attack on privacy. But it doesnt have to be, it is just that the governments want it to be. Not because of some megalomaniacal genocidal plan but for tax and criminal issues. Could it be used for more nefarious plans in the future? Sure. You can always use a cryptocurrency like monero though.

[–] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

What all can you purchase with monero? I don't see a lot of shops around me accepting any crypto whatsoever.

[–] futatorius@lemm.ee 2 points 5 months ago

What all can you purchase with monero?

Drugs and guns.

[–] futatorius@lemm.ee 1 points 5 months ago

You can always use a cryptocurrency like monero though.

Just don't assume it provides anonymity both now and in the future. Even if you follow recommended security practices, Monero can leak details that can help track you. And if you were using Monero when it started, it was far less secure then, and all those transactions can be analyzed now.

[–] englislanguage@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 5 months ago

If our societies would be perfect (now and any time in the future), we would not need this discussion, maybe not even privacy at all. Though a lot of things are very good in our societies, I guess we will not live to see them becoming perfect, so I rather retain some caution, and privacy.

[–] Shelbyeileen@lemmy.world 16 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Speaking from going through it myself; in the USA, Police often don't help you if you're dealing with domestic violence/rape in a marriage. My ex's military commander refused to help me too...

[–] then_three_more@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

I think the only one that doesn't really hold up is 1. There's a lot of coercive control tied up with domestic violence that would make it hard for a victim to call the police for help.

Having said that, in the UK you can open a bank account with a new company in a matter of minutes then transfer money to it and be out of the situation before any paperwork turns up showing what you did.

Many of our banks have specific provisions in place to help victims of domestic violence. Including one that'll set you up with a safe account and an emergency fund that doesn't need to be repaid. https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/tsb-launches-emergency-flee-fund-for-domestic-abuse-victims-how-are-other-banks-helping-arSND8h82lGJ

[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 0 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

In case of domestic violence, you go to the police.

This was such an oddly specific "worry" that it kind of plays the hand of the target demographic as well as the intention of the snippet. Along with the weird bits about birthday cards and ice cream, it just screams propaganda for midwest Christian-leaning grandmothers and housewives.

Right-wing, conservative Christian housewives who hand-wring about everything ALL put away stashes of money to hide from their 1-dimensional husbands who are usually somewhere on the abusive spectrum. I lived much of my life out in the outskirts of cities where the rednecks nest and breed, there are some very predictable stereotypes out there. One of the most common talking points on the far-right Christian slice of America is the perpetual warning that the Anti-Christ is going to take control of all the money and bring the entire planet under his control, and he will enact a one-world currency, take away everyone's cash and guns and then everyone will have to get some chip in their wrist and that will be the Mark of the Beast, blah blah blah, fear-mongering and superstition and mindless worry.

Nobody will ever take away physical money entirely because the moment you do, people will invent one. So if you don't want unregulated Nuka Cola bottlecaps being traded for goods and services in your country, you need to maintain an official currency.

[–] freedomPusher@sopuli.xyz 0 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

In case of domestic violence, you go to the police.

What a bizarre disconnect from reality. You have waaay too much confidence in police power (and assumptions about actionable evidence), capability, and motivation, and no idea about battered women living in fear of the next attack, which a restraining order does not necessarily stop, if you can get one, especially if the next attack is a bullet. A cop who checks on a battery victim will be told “that big bruise on my cheek is from falling down the stairs”.

Domestic violence victims need options. You’re advocating for taking options away. That’s fucked up.