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I don't want to give my CC details and/or my personal information to every merchant. This usually means I either buy from fewer merchants, or pay with bitcoin i
by muyuu 12y ago
I don't want to give my CC details and/or my personal information to every merchant. This usually means I either buy from fewer merchants, or pay with bitcoin if allowed. Obviously, if the merchant is going to require my info anyway then it's pointless, so it depends.
That's one of the main points about bitcoin for me. As a tool for privacy. On the surface it may seem trivial, and corporations living off mining your information will always try to pretend it's not even an issue by simply avoiding mentioning it. While at the same time push for their payment solutions as either compulsory or cheaper ("soft pressure"). But make no mistake, this is one of the most effective tools for mining your data reliably and the likes of Google, Facebook, Amazon, etc are just not going to give up on it easily. Authorities also won't give up on "follow the money" as a tool, or even snooping and hacking into your communications legally or not, inside of their jurisdiction or not. It's basically no rules for some, all the rules for you.
- stef25 12y ago> I don't want to give my CC details and/or my personal information to every merchant Why?
- brasky 12y agoI guess you missed all the giant data hacks over the last year.
- jeromegv 12y agoThe point is that even if you're credit card number is stolen, you are not responsible and get a new card. Compare that to the data hacks of bitcoin exchanges...
- muyuu 12y agoBitcoin and bitcoin exchanges are a completely different thing. When my CC data is stolen, criminals everywhere have access to my current personal information, often even address, phone, picture. I cannot possibly undo that damage. Losing a regular payment for me is NOTHING compared to that. Just having Google have all that next to other data mined about me from people using gmail accounts to mail me etc, it's massive. I just do not trust corporations to deal with my personal data so I take at least a modicum of measures against these dangers. By simply paying through CC you are giving everything away in one swoop.
- stef25 12y agoHow does your picture get stolen along with credit card data? And isn't your phone quasi public information anyway? Nowadays, unless you have a very common name, it's not that hard to find someone's details (picture, phone, ...) I've had my credit card "scammed" several times and I just fill in a piece of paper and the bank refunds me the money and each time it's cost me exactly zero euros. I've used Bitcoin a few times and love how it works, but my lack of understanding of the security precautions required to handle hot & cold wallets + the volatility of it makes me just averse to it. I prefer my credit card getting scammed anytime to the uncertainty of what will happen if I convert a large amount of euro to btc.
- muyuu 12y agoBecause it's private information I don't give away to strangers. A personal policy of mine.
- cyanbane 12y ago> "I don't want to give my CC details and/or my personal information to every merchant. This usually means I either buy from fewer merchants, or pay with bitcoin if allowed. Obviously, if the merchant is going to require my info anyway then it's pointless, so it depends." This is the entire value of bitcoin in my opinion for the average CC holder in the US. I simply don't trust people with my details. It seems like I get a new CC every few months because of some data breach, which entails me having to change any subscription services etc. Anon transactions may be a big point for some, but you are entirely correct when I will more than likely be providing my address to people who I pay with bitcoin. However, they won't have my CC details. I think it will be a better "payment buffer" than paypal. Hopefully cheaper also.