Proton doesn't really support anonymous payments. Let's demand that they do

trilobyte:

The bank’s whole job is to de-anonymize you so they can know who you are and where you are making your purchases.

You’re making excuses for the bank and completely missing the point.

My friend had already verified her identity before they started to inquire about her whereabouts. They had also already ordered a new card to send in Japan before they started asking those questions. The bank had zero doubts that she was who she said she was, i.e., the owner of the account. Moreover, they did not suspect her of fraudulently using her card.

When I told you this story, I gave you lots of unnecessary details to give you a hint of what the bank might be fishing for, but you didn’t catch it, which is fine, because I didn’t necessarily want you to.

I told you my friend is German but has never lived in Germany. The bank asked her if she lived in Japan because they saw that throughout the year, most of her purchases were in Japan, but the address listed on her profile is a German address. The bank she is with is only for people who live in Germany. Specifically, it is only for people who are tax residents in Germany. And if most of your purchases through the years are in Japan, that suggests to the customer agent that you’re not a German tax resident. This would mean you’re not allowed to have an account at this bank and that you might be evading taxes.

Do you now see the difference between a human support agent accessing your profile versus a company’s computer system seeing it?

My friend didn’t call the bank to have questions asked about where she lives. She called the bank to have her card replaced and sent to her in Japan. After she verified her identity, it should not be the bank agent’s business to ask what she is doing in Japan, especially if she hasn’t done anything wrong.

And to be clear, my friend didn’t do anything wrong or illegal. But because she identified herself to a real customer support agent, that agent made observations about her account profile and felt compelled to ask questions that had nothing to do with why she contacted them.

Expert4870:

I find Monero to be more convenient than a credit card.

That’s fair. My argument is that cash payments are the most convenient anonymous method for the average person. The Proxy Store accepts cash and Monero, so it would be great if Proton allowed their gift cards to be sold there.

Expert4870:

Proton seems to have restocked every proton product on Proxystore with large quantities in stock.

Yes, I did mention it. But as I said, Proxy Store vouchers are limited because they are only for free users. That’s why I’m advocating for Proton gift cards to be sold there, because paying subcribers can use them too.