[mirimir]

For example, two decades ago I was ~comfortable driving a couple hundred km to a mall, and buying a gift card for cash. Or mailing cash in the mail. I drove back roads, avoided toll bridges, and didn't carry a cellphone.

I wouldn't do that now.

[dredmorbius]

Sorry, but "comfortable" in what way?

That going through such steps migh assure some privacy?

Or that you'd take such measures as a matter of routine?

Or that you could do that without raising suspicions, or possibly being flagged / recorded in some manner despite (or on account of) the precautions?

Or ... ?

(Moral is not clear.)

[mirimir]

The moral is that being ~anonymous in meatspace has become very difficult.

So yes, I'm no longer comfortable assuming that such steps would guarantee any privacy. And yes, I'd also worry that at least parts of the process would be recorded. And the harder I tried to obfuscate, the more likely it'd raise suspicions.

I do worry about using a VPN. But that's not too uncommon where I live, so hopefully it's not a huge flag.

[dredmorbius]

Thanks.

[ALittleLight]

Why wouldn't you do that kind of thing now? Those kinds of things don't even strike me as suspicious.

[mirimir]

Oh, you're right.

I neglected to say that I was doing that with the expectation of ~anonymity. Using those gift cards to lease VPN services and VPS. Mailing cash to people selling Liberty Reserve and Pecunix. And later, Bitcoin.