Readers React: In a cashless society, Big Brother will always know when you buy milk

To the editor: Not mentioned in the article about becoming a cashless society is that by doing this, we prevent youth from learning how to handle money. Having it be “invisible “ isn’t helpful.

Also, the issue of privacy is barely mentioned. Why does a third party have to know every item I purchase? What happens when the power is interrupted or if hackers get into your account? Is it necessary to worry about privacy issues because you want to buy some milk?

It seems we have come to a point of finding a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. Slow down, people — enjoy interactions with your fellow humans, and don’t support the adoption of technology that isn’t necessary.

Allison Johnson, Ventura

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To the editor: While the move toward a cashless economy indeed poses problems for low-income and marginalized people, we all have reason for caution: Do we really want every method of payment to be controlled by private companies?

What will happen to the fees that private payment platforms such as Visa and Mastercard charge when they operate in a market with no public option — in other words, cash?

We should perhaps consider how the lack of a public option has given free rein to private health insurance companies as a cautionary tale.

Richard Kraft, West Hollywood

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