Prolly I’ll be in the minority here. But blaming the tech itself seems the wrong way to go. Technology advance and adoption has been part of our species for thousands of years, and this is no different. So needing certain tech to do our every day human activities is normal. We should focus our attention towards what large companies who control this tech (mostly) are doing with this and how they are using it in order to control us and profit from us.
A de-googled android smartphone will get rid of most of the issues caused by large tech, and still retain most of the advantages. Sadly de-googled android is not consumer - ready yet though, so it’s a real option for the more technically inclined. But then again, this might be an issue more related to technical literacy?
You even need an app for accessing your bank account. At least in the EU!
You mean for accessing your bank account from a phone? Or just accessing your account in general?
In General, because you need an app as second factor.
How about code being sent through SMS? Or using an OTH token, or something not forcing an app? Where I live, what’s worse about those token apps, is that some do not work if not under google play. Some do, but most don’t. I had to show them their app didn’t work in a LOS4uG phone (no GApps at all), and they sold me the OATH token, they were not even going to sell it to me, because banks are enforcing the app, which to me it’s a horrible practice. But banks are private entities, so I don’t know if there can be legal actions filed against those practices, though I’m no lawyer, neither I have time, neither money to start such demands, but I’m thinking it should be possible.
In my country the government is also trying to enforce QR codes through an app, right now the enforcement was put on pause, given an action filed against it, but I’m suspecting it’ll still be enforced in the end… It’s sad to see where things are moving…
SMS as 2FA is not allowed anymore in the EU starting some time in 2022, IIRC. Not 100% sure though.
