[tor-talk] Gmail and Bitcoin? [OT]

[grarpamp]

> prefer to keep the account creation process as frictionless as possible
> for the overwhelming majority of users.

Amazon lets you sign up via tor with disposable email. Don't know
if that interest in your eyeballs extends all the way through check out.
But it's a good sign of a company welcoming commerce so far.

> "That sounds like it might work. But who is going to build it to find out?"

Actually, if I were a provider faced with undesired account activity
I couldn't solve another way, I would try deposits. But because
the provider is now dealing with people's money, the policy terms of
that would be the difficult part to create. The conditions under which
you close the account and keep the money have to be quite clear
to avoid being blogged as thieves.

> we should regard bitcoin as no
> different from the traditional banking system in terms of transaction
> privacy for the *average* user.

Other than using a different recipient address with each transaction,
and the proxy features of whichever bitcoin client, what more would
be needed in design or operation for this? Some say using a washer,
but all that seems to do is pass someone else's dirt to you in various
quantities.

> "anonymous" prepaid credit cards are available in some areas

This no longer seems to be the case in the USA. Something changed
a few years back so that even use of the initial storebought load seems
to require identifying information. I'm sure USA persons would like
pointers to any that don't require this. Even if sourced internationally.

> avoid putting such statements in my mouth unless you have clear
> memory/citation for them..

We're referring to this Mike who suggested bitcoin deposits...

Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2012
From: Mike Hearn <hearn at google.com>
Subject: Re: [tor-talk] registration for youtube, gmail over Tor -
fake voicemail / sms anyone?