On Mon, 13 Aug 2001, Craig Sanders wrote:
> > >"The smartcard will not need to be removed from a wallet or bag, it
> > >only needs to pass the validator, which will signal acceptance of the
> > >fare
>
> this is the biggest problem with the idea.
>
> any system that bills a user (or even scans their card) without
> requiring explicit consent (e.g. by swiping the card through a reader)
> is just plain wrong.
As well, will I be able to obtain a list of transactions made on
the card, at zero cost? I would want to verify card usage. Of course
this takes up my personal time ... I might want to opt for cash, since
it is safer to use, requires no auditing on my part and cannot be
abused like a smart card can.
Also, if someone steals my smart card, can it be disabled? If not, how
can I prove that all those transactions were not initiated by me? Once
again, cash does not have this problem, although I cannot disable stolen
cash, as much as I would like to.
> aside from the prospect of being double (or triple or n-tuple) billed
> for the same service or incorrectly billed or even charged for a service
> you didnt want just because you walked/stood too close to the scanner,
> there's also the problem of what it does to privacy and anonymity. it
> allows for easy tracking of people as they travel around, and as they
> enter and leave buildings and shops.
It certainly would not be acceptable to find someone trailing you
24 hours a day in public for the rest of your life, making notes on
many of your (financial/other) movements. And yet this is supposed to
be acceptable when you carry a smart card?
Final question: wasn't the encryption on the original smart card broken
by crackers within weeks of first issue? Industry's track record on personal
security and protection through encryption technology is abyssmal.
_____________________________________________
Rick Welykochy || Praxis Services Pty Limited
"One of the main advantages of the 'dot-bomb' downturn is that cool [web]
design has suffered a severe set back."
- www.useit.com/alertbox
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.1 : Fri Aug 31 2001 - 03:10:04 EST