Re: anonymous video rental store

[paul@poboy.b17c.ingr.com (Paul Robichaux)]

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> How about an anon deposit service that multiple companies (utilities,
> etc.) could put claims on, similar to VISA holds.

The ideal implementation would be as a cash pool: you put in a total
of $X to cover your utility and service deposits, then provide
potential claimants with blinded withdrawal tokens.

So, when I go to Huntsville Utilities and ask them to turn on the
power at my house, rather than writing a check or giving them personal
information, I just tell give them a blinded token which they could
use to withdraw $X from my account at the Austin-Internet Credit
Union.

One potential problem is that some services (phone, gas, water)
require physical location information as part of their service. You
have to give the correct physical address for infrastructure services,
but you could give a false name. Other services, though, like the video
rental store, probably wouldn't care. 

Another problem is how you ensure security of transactions: you don't
want the service provider to debit the account unnecessarily, and the
service provider will want to keep you from closing the account and
leaving them without payment. I suspect that a properly blinded
protocol would work but haven't brainstormed one yet.

- -Paul

- -- 
Paul Robichaux, KD4JZG     | Richard Davis was twice convicted of kidnapping. 
Intergraph Federal Systems | He was released twice; then he killed Polly Klass.
Not speaking for Intergraph| Why wasn't he in jail? Why's he still alive? 


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