cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/35993881
[…]
Under draft legislation that the State Duma approvedat first reading on May 22, 2025, a bill will require banks and merchants to facilitate digital ruble transactions and a universal QR payment code for purchases. Beginning October 1, 2025, the digital ruble will be used for a limited range of federal budget expenditures, transitioning on January 1, 2026, to full, unrestricted use for all federal outlays.
[…]
Kremlin financiers will track every digital ruble transaction in real time, granting authorities the power to block citizens’ accounts without a court order and automatically deduct taxes, fines, and other charges. Social benefits payable in digital rubles will be usable only for government‐approved categories of goods and services, and spending may be restrictedbased on a citizen’s place of residence or product type.
[…]
Critics—from human rights groups to economic analysts—argue the digital ruble will entrench state surveillance. According to The Cryptonomist, Russia’s CBDC may replicate China’s model of monitoring every transaction, but with even tighter Kremlin oversight. Ukrainian intelligence observers highlight the risk of a “behavioral loyalty” system, where digital currency access depends on citizens’ political and social “reliability.”
Previously, it was reported that Latvia’s Defense Intelligence and Security Service released a 48-page public handbook designed to help civilians identify and report suspected Russian operatives. The guide details indicators such as ragged appearance and suspicious behavior, offers safe reporting practices, and includes case studies illustrating espionage tactics in both urban and rural settings.
[…]
This is a smaller deal than it would seem. Any SBP or Mir payment you can already assume to be similarly surveilled.
In general appearances in Russia follow the actual state of things with a huge lag.
It’s pretty controversial but imo financial privacy from your government is important and a legitimate thing to want, especially when your government is terrible. Hopefully Russians are able to find ways to evade this.
It’s not F controversial. It’s F obvious. Except people collectively ignore obvious things when it’s about their herd instinct.
Aren’t we doing a similar thing with Euro? :(
Everyone is. Yes.
And it’s exactly as bad as when russia does it.
It’s very very bad wheh russia does it.
We need a cash only movement more than ever. It might be time to start leaving my cards at home from now on.
These scummy assholes at the big payment processors have already made rules where merchants break ToS if they surcharge for card transactions. It’s time people SEE and have the option to OPT OUT of financial industry overreach.
Money is supposed to be a way to track value, who has contributed to society.
Honestly, i don’t love it for that. It has so many fucking problems. It leads to so many fallacies and abuse.
But when an institution gets root access to a spreadsheet, instead of each person deciding, at least to some extent, where they send individual markers, that institution gets to decide, explicitly and without oversight, who society serves, what is valuable, and who gets to participate in society.
They also get to watch exactly how
And if they decide you’re out, you’re out. You are accountable to their values, which are subject to change.
There are perfectly legal and ethical (if not tasteful) kinks no porn site allows, because the christian shareholders go after payment processors of hosting and dns registration companies.
If the us government declares you a terrorist, your bank account is gone. You no longer have access-not after you’re convicted; after you’re accused.
Cash money. In use for more than four thousand years and still the best financial technology out there.
Naturally anonymized exchange tokens, not requiring global network connectivity, electric energy, approval of a payment processing system.
Seems such a good idea, almost impossible.
At least Russians can use cryptocurrency for private digital transactions oh wait no it’s illegal to buy things with crypto in Russia.
Serious question, Hotznplotzn: Are you against digital currencies in general because you don’t want governments to track people’s financial transactions, or are you just trying to remind people that Russia is still bad?
@Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.org Are you still pondering this question? Since I asked, you had enough time to post at least six more articles complaining about China and one more complaining about Russia
