I understand why you might think this, but the problem is that, even though we have a open ledger, which means basically anyone is able to see how many transactions, to what addresses are these transactions are going to, and the amount of it - this doesn't mean it's easy to determine someone's identity.
We are able to see a wide range of addresses, but unlike banking systems, the account number doesn't directly link to someone, and it could be anyone's addresses - whichs makes transactions fairly safe for you, especially if you aren't making frequent big transactions which might be flagged, espeically if you are doing something illegal.
Topic: Bitcoin Leading To Total Surveillance Of Payments? - page 2. (Read 225 times)
However, what remains clear is that we have an era of total surveillance ahead of us, and bitcoin is one of many technologies which empower it.
Bitcoin allows some ways of achieving pretty good privacy - currently we have mixers, in the future there will be Lightning Network, coinjoin, schnorr signatures and other options. Users also have to take steps to protect their privacy by following some rules - don't reuse addresses, be careful with what inputs you include, don't post your addresses on social networks, etc. It's seriously wrong to portray Bitcoin as a surveillance tool.
It is very possible that bitcoin will lead to an increase in surveillance of payments and transactions. Where cash is being systematically phased out by governments, what will take its place, naturally, is an electronic form of cash which is more readily traceable. The powers that be desire the ability to aggregate large amounts of data and form predictions of behavior based on spending patterns.
Money, as a language, is a very telling indicator of where people are placing their intention and their purchasing power. The political establishment will do whatever it can to ensure that users of electronic currency (and bitcoin) are tracked, controlled, and if need be, chipped.
Make no mistake about it, if the current political trajectory does not change, the political establishment will have their way and the surveillance of payments will be here very shortly. For those who do not comply or submit to authority, their representation on this electronic network will be switched off like a light switch.
Although the nuances remain undetermined, what is clear is that bitcoin empowers cashlessness. It also risks being co-opted by large mining operations. Central banks are looking at issuing their own crypto-style currency, but who will choose these over the original implementation of 2009?
There are many known unknowns in the bitcoin industry. However, what remains clear is that we have an era of total surveillance ahead of us, and bitcoin is one of many technologies which empower it.
Money, as a language, is a very telling indicator of where people are placing their intention and their purchasing power. The political establishment will do whatever it can to ensure that users of electronic currency (and bitcoin) are tracked, controlled, and if need be, chipped.
Make no mistake about it, if the current political trajectory does not change, the political establishment will have their way and the surveillance of payments will be here very shortly. For those who do not comply or submit to authority, their representation on this electronic network will be switched off like a light switch.
Although the nuances remain undetermined, what is clear is that bitcoin empowers cashlessness. It also risks being co-opted by large mining operations. Central banks are looking at issuing their own crypto-style currency, but who will choose these over the original implementation of 2009?
There are many known unknowns in the bitcoin industry. However, what remains clear is that we have an era of total surveillance ahead of us, and bitcoin is one of many technologies which empower it.
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