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Noticed the Patriot Act's effects on PayPal?

I work with PCs and use PayPal to conduct my financial transactions. I recently sold some hardware for $800 and tried to transfer the money into my bank account only to be told I can only move $500 a month due to the Patriot Act. After fuming over this for an hour, I realized the ramifications of my true hobby...high end audio. So now, if I sell my amp, preamp, voltage regulator, etc... in an effort to upgrade my system, I will be affected by The Patriot Act. Has anyone else noticed this? I can only question how much more control we will allow our government into our daily lives before we say enough. I'm still pi$$ed that I can now be pulled over for not wearing my seatbelt...when the seatbelt law was passed, we were told we would NOT get pulled over for this violation. I ask you, what value is there in wearing my seatbelt as I drive to the gas station to buy a carton of cigarettes? I’m not some bleeding heart liberal, but am close to my fill of crap I can take from my government. Am I alone? Will I be investigated for this post?
mdomnick
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,277 posts
 
As it turns out the government's use of personal info is somewhat benign. They're looking for data that points to unusual activity. What's scarier to me is the deep data mining by commercial companies that are interested in our normal everyday activities. It directly effects you financially as a consumer, employee, borrower and investor.
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
11,046 posts
 
Onhwy61,

Good point, but considering that there are now over 850,000 more private contractors than before 9/11 with the highest security clearances one can have and that they greatly benefit from having no real oversight, all of that data was intended to be mined from the get-go, be it government oriented or not. There is no real bright line between government and business in a lot of cases.

With Google, Oracle, and one other company (for the life of me I can't remember) behind Stuxnet and Flame doing their thing over in Iran, just how exacting are the comings and goings of we, the people, being tracked?

On another note, I tend to laugh at the conundrum about leaks on Stuxnet when it was an American security company that discovered it and brought it to light. It would be nice to have the right hand know what the left hand is doing.

All the best,
Nonoise
polk432
1,142 posts
 
Anyone that is worried about Big Brother or Cameras either has something to hide or is doing something against the law. Like telling people that tweeks work or that SS sounds better than tubes.
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
11,046 posts
 
I knew the other shoe would drop.

All the best,
Nonoise
rja's avatar
rja
2,380 posts
 
Sign at FedEx yesterday. Due to Patriot Act we reserve the right to open, xray, inspect all packages.
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