Survey: The future of Cash?

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Rumor has it, that here in Canada with the recent 'end of prohibition' on a certain plant, that some US border guards are now asking for credit cards to verify there are no purchases of said plant..

Privacy with plastic?!! I have a bridge in NY to sell, cheap..

As I was fairly appalled by this use case which suggests serious abuse of power, I did a little research on it. Here's a good article on it, consistent with several other articles out there:

https://globalnews.ca/news/4461315/...to-u-s-border-officials-some-might-some-wont/

The upshot:
1. The article confirms that only non-US-citizens entering the US are potentially subject to this sort of review. A warrant would be required to do this to a US citizen.
2. While it says it's POSSIBLE for the US border folks to do it, the article stops short of suggesting it's actually going on.
3. For it to happen, the credit card data would have to be in the US. The big Canadian banks privacy disclosures state that data MAY be housed in the US (not that it IS housed in the US).
4. Varying from province to province, credit card purchase may appear in different ways, some of which would not be distinguishable as pot purchases. Keep in mind most stores would also sell perfectly US-legal "paraphrenalia" that would bear the same vendor location, so distinguishing pot from a pot-leaf-tshirt would probably be impossible.
5. Use of a debit card would not be subject to records being housed outside of Canada so would not represent this sort of search threat.

So, it COULD be used against Canadians entering the US, who buy with a credit (not debit) card, and who buy in a location where the item purchased is transparently displayed. But that would require significant searching / filtering of data on folks as they enter; certainly is possible to do it without technical (or, apparently legal) impediments, but gosh what an administrative nightmare. Seems like a waste of clock cycles to me, and the expense on setting up and doing this sort of search without any cause is ridiculous. As a taxpayer I'd be pissed if it happened.

The US has been known to do stupider things, so I won't say my government wouldn't do it, but gosh how crazy.
 
The US is destination #1 for many Canadians, even for a day trip.
All you need is that one border guard to ask the question. Or have the whole border office start asking the question, and you could get many pulled over.
Is this news propaganda? Probably. But there apparently has been the odd few who have been asked "do you smoke?" And that has lead to a secondary exam...

These new stores are only allowed to sell the product, not the paraphernalia. So, a mark on your bill is for pretty much the one thing. And, in Quebec, you're now not allowed to sell anything with the words or image of the plant.. (How silly is that?!)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/mont...images-of-pot-riles-business-owners-1.4886265
 
And, in Quebec, you're now not allowed to sell anything with the words or image of the plant.
I don't know about Canadian protections of free speech, but I know that in the US a state law stating that wouldn't survive a minute in federal court on constitutional grounds. I imagine Canadian protections are not too terribly different, but as I stated I really don't know.
 
it's being challenged..

The laws, as stated federally on the subject, are open to interpretation & implementation by the provinces.. The rules, in general, differ from province to province. And, most would agree, that while the feds made it legal for one main reason (to end the black market / criminal element), the provinces seem rather reluctant to enact the new law, as it's up to each province to set their own rules & regulations. It really is turning into a bit of a circus.

And, while legal, the only way to purchase in Ontario in thru their online portal. So, you need to use a credit card, or cross the border into either Quebec or Saskatchewan.. (or just stick with the guy you've been dealing with for the last 30+ years.. which is still illegal)
 
For those advocating on behalf of "privacy," what use cases are you worried about and what privacy gaps do you worry about that would make you prefer cash?

I am not talking about "public transactions"m like buying groceries, clothing, gasoline, going to a movie, etc.

I am talking about "private transactions", starting with things as simple as a "garage sale" or a "friendly poker game", progressing to things that we don't want any "paper trail" or "electronic record" of.

Use your imagination . . . The scale runs from "mild to wild", depending on things like one's "politics", for one example.

Dave F.
 
I just so happen to be old enough to remember $500 and $1000 bills. The ONLY reason the were removed from circulation was to make it more difficult to get large amounts of money out of the country, the government wanted their cut. No telling what they'll "do" in the future. ...
 
And my original Social Security card has "Not to be used for identification purposes" printed in red right on the front. Any I've seen from the last 20 years or so do not. First thing they demand at a simple traffic stop is I.D. AND SSN. When did we lose that right? Don't recall ever hearing or reading a single thing about it..
 
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