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Treasury Department worries about ecash, anonymity

------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Fri, 22 Sep 2000 21:07:01 -0400 To: cryptography@c2.net From: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com> Subject: Treasury Department worries about ecash, anonymity

http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,38955,00.html

Feds: Digital Cash Can Thwart Us by Declan McCullagh (declan@wired.com)

3:00 a.m. Sep. 22, 2000 PDT WASHINGTON -- A Treasury Department report warns that technologies such as the Internet and electronic cash could thwart the federal government's efforts to conduct surveillance of bank and credit card transactions.

The internal strategic plan predicts that technology may help law enforcement by allowing agents to assemble ever-growing databases of Americans' financial activities, but it can also provide more anonymity than ever before.

Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) prepared the 36-page document, which was obtained by Wired News.

It says: "The development of new technologies -- such as electronic cash, electronic purses, Internet or smartcard based electronic payment systems, and Internet banking -- is increasing the ability of individuals to rapidly transfer large sums of money, and could pose a challenge for FinCEN and other law enforcement agencies combating money laundering."

[...]

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