A big problem here is that Google & Apple are not trustworthy. Google f.e. is blocking accounts without any chance for the user to get them back or to reclaim them. If you need an app to open your door and Google is blocking you, you’re fucked.
Fe?
for example
Why not use “e.g.” in that case?
I’d prefer having both analogue and digital options for things, but I’m fine with requiring technology, as long as open standards are used throughout. That is the only way to ensure equal and non-discriminatory access.
You should never have to use any particular piece of software, or be forced to sign a terms of service, to go about your daily life. Requiring an app for everything only entrenches iOS and Android, and most apps really don’t cater well for people with disabilities or other requirements.
Meanwhile, open standards allow a variety of software to be built that can cater for everyone’s needs.
Case in point: I was required to add a phone number to an account before they would let me use an Authenticator App. If you’re securing your account, the standard should be that an Auth App is agnostic of other user data. It doesn’t need your phone number, it doesn’t need your user ID, it just needs the secret key.
And I was thinking all along, “What if I didn’t have a phone number? Are people who can’t be reached by phone just not allowed to use TOTP?”
It’s needlessly discriminatory.
Braxman on YouTube has a good video on this exact point and how they are using it with the government to track everything you do, it is part of the KYC know your customer ideology that is now being used by tech co’s to be able to track everything about your life.
They’re almost certainly doing that because they’re forcing you into SMS 2fa as a ‘backup’ to the TOTP solution.
Cheaper to get everyone’s phone number so you can send them a text message when they fuck up their totp app/delete it/get a new phone/whatever than deal with support calls.
It’s stupid and insecure and incredibly dumb, but, well, business decisions.
I don’t get these should articles. There is a lot of things we should be doing.
We already have a long list of things we should do, maybe they can get on that instead of adding to the list.
No.
We need common sense protections from the corporate emperors who rule said technologies.
Pfft. That sounds like something a pocket calculator would say.
