4 ms·

"If you've ever handled a penny, the government's got your DNA. Why do you think they keep 'em in circulation?" - Simpsons

by ripter 13y ago

smtddr 13y ago
An internet-enabled smartphone fp-reader is probably just a little more accurate than a random penny floating about in society.......-_-
- PeterisP 13y ago
  Actually, random banknotes can usually be traced to a specific person, so any DNA traces could probably be linked - there have been experiments that show that majority of non-tiny banknotes are [A] put in ATM [B] given out to a known person; [C] given to a shop/vendor; [D] retrieved by the bank. So, given multiple banknotes, they could reasonably list the identities of people who shopped in that shop, simply by looking at the banknote serial numbers.
  - smtddr 13y ago
    That I can understand, but it's "approximate" info on a banknote that probably has a couple of fingerprints. Even if the store had a video-camera, it's gonna be a bit tough to figure out exactly who gave a given $20 bill to the cashier. And since this person is using cash and not a creditcard, all they got is a (usually bad-quality) store-cam of someone that they think is the one who handed a given $20 bill to the cashier... meh, that's pretty fuzzy. Even if I told the FBI that I'm going to the mall and I will spend a $20 bill this Saturday, I think it would still be exceedingly difficult to find the exact bill unless they were tailing me the whole time. In which case I've already been located & identified by the FBI as a person-of-interest within their physical reach, so I'm already as good as dead.
  - jeromeflipo 13y ago
    Do you have any source about such experiment? I've always wondered about the cash flows analytics!
- 51Cards 13y ago
  A Simpsons' quote is also probably directed a little more towards the humour end of the scale.
jlgreco 13y ago
They undoubtedly have the fingerprints of any American they care to (hell, they got mine during 4th grade when a police officer came to our school to "teach us about fingerprinting"). However iPhones are of course used throughout the world... Even ignoring the specific issue of fingerprints, which I am not convinced is a major concern, the widespread use gives numerous other reasons for pause.

"If you've ever handled a penny, the government's got your DNA. Why do you think they keep 'em in circulation?" - Simpsons

by ripter 13y ago

"If you've ever handled a penny, the government's got your DNA. Why do you think they keep 'em in circulation?" - Simpsons

smtddr 13y ago

An internet-enabled smartphone fp-reader is probably just a little more accurate than a random penny floating about in society.......-_-

PeterisP 13y ago
Actually, random banknotes can usually be traced to a specific person, so any DNA traces could probably be linked - there have been experiments that show that majority of non-tiny banknotes are [A] put in ATM [B] given out to a known person; [C] given to a shop/vendor; [D] retrieved by the bank. So, given multiple banknotes, they could reasonably list the identities of people who shopped in that shop, simply by looking at the banknote serial numbers.
- smtddr 13y ago
  That I can understand, but it's "approximate" info on a banknote that probably has a couple of fingerprints. Even if the store had a video-camera, it's gonna be a bit tough to figure out exactly who gave a given $20 bill to the cashier. And since this person is using cash and not a creditcard, all they got is a (usually bad-quality) store-cam of someone that they think is the one who handed a given $20 bill to the cashier... meh, that's pretty fuzzy. Even if I told the FBI that I'm going to the mall and I will spend a $20 bill this Saturday, I think it would still be exceedingly difficult to find the exact bill unless they were tailing me the whole time. In which case I've already been located & identified by the FBI as a person-of-interest within their physical reach, so I'm already as good as dead.
- jeromeflipo 13y ago
  Do you have any source about such experiment? I've always wondered about the cash flows analytics!
51Cards 13y ago
A Simpsons' quote is also probably directed a little more towards the humour end of the scale.

jlgreco 13y ago

They undoubtedly have the fingerprints of any American they care to (hell, they got mine during 4th grade when a police officer came to our school to "teach us about fingerprinting"). However iPhones are of course used throughout the world... Even ignoring the specific issue of fingerprints, which I am not convinced is a major concern, the widespread use gives numerous other reasons for pause.