Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille
“The first credit card processor to announce plans to track purchases at gun shops is Discover Financial Services. The company hints that its competitors, specifically Visa, MasterCard, and American Express, are on the same schedule to implement a controversial gun-specific merchant category code announced last year. Given that the ideologically charged bank behind the new code has big plans for targeting gun purchases you can expect more fireworks to follow. … Ultimately, the key to staying out of political conflicts over guns or any other transactions that authoritarians want to restrict is to use payment systems that don’t require a third party’s approval. Cash is always good. Cryptocurrency, despite its recent tribulations, may ultimately fill this role.” 903/06/23)