> Why would they do this?
Because every true banker salivates at the thought of giving you a savings account that earns -1%.
...but only after cash is banned, so client won't walk out of the bank with the pile of banknotes. Which is the whole point of the posted article.
Re:The War on Cash
by Lawtonfogle on Wednesday February 17, 2016 @12:02PM
(#11119268)
>and not just by government officials but in any court of law or hacker.
Or business partner. Advertisement agency see that you have recently bought some personal item and they now show you ads for related items. Show you recently paid for a funeral and show you ads for 'saving their memory'. Shows you recently cream from a personal medical issue and show you ads for all related material... hope a friend isn't looking at the screen.
The real threat however is they could simply ban the sale of any good or service by flip of a bit. Let alone the surveillance possibilities, everything you buy would be logged and could be used against you at a later date and not just by government officials but in any court of law or hacker. They could impose fees or penalties and there would be no escape from it. You could not simply pull your money out of the bank because there is no physical representation to hold.
Cash is freedom. Freedom to associate and support whom you want without trace. That is not a freedom we should ever give up lightly.