Surveillance, Censorship, and the Hidden Costs of Going Cashless

Every digital payment you make is a data point—tracked, analyzed, and sometimes weaponized. In 'Cloudmoney', Brett Scott warns that the cashless future is also a surveillance future. Governments and corporations use payment data to build detailed profiles, assess credit, and even deny services. In some countries, social credit systems integrate payment data to reward or punish citizens.

Financial censorship is real. Accounts can be frozen or transactions blocked for political reasons or algorithmic suspicion. The risks of exclusion are highest for those already on the margins. As we move toward a cashless society, defending the right to transact privately and freely becomes a matter of justice and dignity.
References: Cloudmoney by Brett Scott, Autonomy Work review, Cybersalon review 1 2