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A comment on If Facebook or Google create their own currency, they can control our lives. Parent comment

Re:If Facebook or Google create their own currency, they can... by mehrdadn on Monday June 24, 2019 @06:44AM (#20262097)
I'm guessing this is because corporations will still obviously be different from governments. For one thing they won't have cops arresting you.
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Re:If Facebook or Google create their own currency, they can... by rakoo on Monday June 24, 2019 @07:39AM (#20262443)
Governments keep control on people by the usage of force, but corporations have the means to control people by the use of pleasure. You might not get in jail but if you're not allowed to go where you want/do what you want/talk to who you want, if your life revolves around a single thing and that is removed from you, would you still do it ?

This comic about Orwell's and Huxley's vision of things really lays it in simple terms (https://twistedsifter.com/2010/06/the-saturday-strip-week-13...). The source is, of course, very interesting to read.

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Re:If Facebook or Google create their own currency, they can... by mehrdadn on Monday June 24, 2019 @07:46AM (#20262515)
> would you still do it?

Between "do it" and "don't do it"? Well obviously no. But compared to getting thrown in jail? Obviously it's better?

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Re:If Facebook or Google create their own currency, they can... by rakoo on Monday June 24, 2019 @12:31PM (#20265319)
Of course the difference in "punishement" is huge, but the important and scary part is that corporations can have a huge control on how people behave without any threat other than "you won't be able to use our service". That was my point.
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Re:If Facebook or Google create their own currency, they can... by tshanmu on Monday June 24, 2019 @07:07AM (#20262204)
How can you be sure - if they almost become quasi-goverments - they will surely have quasi-law-enforcement?

A ban by facebook could literally be lifethreatening?

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Re:If Facebook or Google create their own currency, they can... by mehrdadn on Monday June 24, 2019 @07:14AM (#20262248)
> How can you be sure

Same way I can be "sure" my bank is going to keep my money safe and give it to me when I need it?

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Re:If Facebook or Google create their own currency, they can... by pbhjpbhj on Monday June 24, 2019 @08:13AM (#20262683)
Could you be more clear about your intended meaning. From this you might mean "I can't be sure", or you might mean "the government will step in to prevent it", or you might actually think your bank will keep your money safe, or ...
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Re:If Facebook or Google create their own currency, they can... by mehrdadn on Monday June 24, 2019 @08:21AM (#20262746)
Do I have to pick one?
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Re:If Facebook or Google create their own currency, they can... by pbhjpbhj on Monday June 24, 2019 @08:31AM (#20262834)
Now you're just trolling.
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Re:If Facebook or Google create their own currency, they can... by mehrdadn on Monday June 24, 2019 @08:37AM (#20262881)
Wasn't intending to. I'm pretty serious.
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Re:If Facebook or Google create their own currency, they can... by sharedfrog on Tuesday June 25, 2019 @09:19AM (#20273856)
While true now, remember that companies used to own armies[1] and territories[2]. Their motives -- shareholder profit -- have not changed. They do and will strive to grow their power.

It's not a stretch from today to imagine living on company-built cities with private security, paying rent and utilities to the company, with contracts and EULAs serving as laws in all but name.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_East_India_Company

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_rule_in_India

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Re:If Facebook or Google create their own currency, they can... by zamazingo on Monday June 24, 2019 @06:52AM (#20262138)
They do though.
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Re:If Facebook or Google create their own currency, they can... by empath75 on Monday June 24, 2019 @08:02AM (#20262608)
Don’t be so sure.
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