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For privacy, sit on your ATM cash for ~6+ months before spending it (slrpnk.net)
submitted 3 months ago by to c/cash@slrpnk.net
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For those who give a shit about privacy, consider the linked past post. The ATM reads the serial numbers of banknotes as it’s dispensed and later used to track your habits.

So to mitigate the threat of unwarranted mass surveillance, it’s a good idea to put your ATM withdrawals in an envelope with the transaction date. Then let it sit in your safe for 6—12 months so the tracking data becomes stale before you actually use it. A good length of time suggests the banknotes went through many hands before they are back on the radar.

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[–] 14 points 3 months ago (8 children)

Or launder them by asking for big bills from the bank, and having them broke up later by spending them. That way you don’t have to believe the joke that data can’t be held more than 6 months.

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  • [–] [S] 4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (5 children)

    Or launder them by asking for big bills from the bank

    Indeed it is wise to draw the biggest banknotes possible to reduce the tracking extent.

    Note there is a trend of ATMs in recent years dispensing smaller max denominations. In Netherlands and France there are no longer ATMs that dispense banknotes bigger than €50. This is likely a move to increase surveillance without people realising.

    That way you don’t have to believe the joke that data can’t be held more than 6 months.

    Drawing big notes is orthoganol to the staleness of the data. You can do both. Draw big notes and also make the data stale.

    It’s also not about data retention. It’s about data relevance. The more stale the data is, the less likely the source and destination are transacted by the same person. If you pull cash from the wall and that some day buy fertilizer with it, there is greater confidence that the same person is in both transactions than if there are months between the two transactions.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 months ago (2 children)

    Apparently there are ATMs in the Netherlands that dispense coins, which don't have a serial number. Though if you pay for fertilizer in coins that might set off some other flags.

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 3 months ago (1 child)

    Apparently there are ATMs in the Netherlands that dispense coins,

    Interesting! I found this:

    “However, a user’s Dutch bank may charge fees for certain services, such as withdrawing coins.”

    I’ve used a non-Dutch card at Geldmaat and was given a choice of denominations but not coins. Is it just certain specific Geldmaat machines, or is the coin service just for Dutch-issued cards?

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  • [–] 1 point 3 months ago (1 child)

    Data is relevant forever. It’s tracked forever. They’ll know if they look. So, laundering is the only option, as history has shown. Just launder your damn money fool.

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  • [–] [S] 1 point 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

    Data is relevant forever.

    Nonsense. All sensitive data has a window of sensitivity. After you die, most of your personal data will become instantly irrelevant. No one will give a shit what embarrassing shit you said on social media after you’re dead, including this absurd claim that data is relevant forever.

    Some data is instantly and forever irrelevant from the moment it is created, like the fake birth date on my acct.

    Even direct solid evidence of a criminal offense can become irrelevant if the statute of limitations is reached.

    When the cash you draw from the ATM changes hands a dozen times before coming back on the radar 6 months later, the data about the source (your withdrawal from the ATM) is absolutely irrelevant and useless.

    It’s tracked forever.

    That does not make it relevant. My hard drive is perfectly capable of storing irrelevant totally useless data. It just means the data controller has plenty of storage space and the effort of determining whether it’s relevant has a higher price than the storage space.

    They’ll know if they look.

    Know what? Whatever you think they’ll know, the knowledge is not useful after the banknote changes a dozen hands.

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