Potentially turning a negative of Google's tightening restrictions into a positave

gpatel-fr

thanks for the explanation.
I wonder how disabled people (the ones that may have trouble using a terminal as small as a phone) fares in this scheme.

Also, unfortunately for Linux devices such as Ubuntu Touch, betting all on a device that has a gigantic attack surface - the smartphone has typically 3 open connections (radio, wifi, bluetooth) and connects to typically one software store with many apps, with automatic update turned on for everything - pretty well ensures that only systems provided by big Daddy Google or big Daddy Apple will be considered secure enough for general use by a population not especially well versed in security. I am going to get a device that will get UT next week but I'm not keen on doing banking on it. Using old kernel and old binary drivers don't seem to be a good thing with so dangerously exposed devices.

Mario.CH

Hi

I keep reading the myth that nowadays you need a smartphone.

Let's be honest, if everyone stopped using these services and instead did everything at the counter or in the store, then neither the tech giants nor the authorities would have so much power.

Incidentally, the authorities seem to fear the people more than the tech giants, which is really worrying.

Greetings
Mario

Moem

@Mario.CH said in Potentially turning a negative of Google's tightening restrictions into a positave:

Let's be honest, if everyone stopped using these services and instead did everything at the counter or in the store, then neither the tech giants nor the authorities would have so much power.

How do you do your banking at the counter if your bank has no physical locations?

pparent

@t12392n

Well I'm very sorry that you seem doomed in sweeden.

Honestly in France you can still live without a smartphone.

I would say the main limitation is Whatsapp (and possibly Signal and Telegram) which is more and more used in social groups. You could still use it on a computer, but you would miss infos while you're on the go. Apart from groups usually people would accept to communicate with you in one-to-one by SMS if you prefer so.

The second limitation is whenever you buy a ticket (train, concert, event), then you get a PDF with a Qr-Code. If you don't have a smartphone to display the pdf you have to print it every time which is annoying.

Also nowadays you're kind of expected to be able to navigate fast to any physical address, and not having a GPS app could be problematic in some situations, especially if you are in a city that you don't know perfectly, and you would need to organize yourself in advance.

But apart for those 3 annoyances, it remains perfectly feasible to not have a smartphone (only a dumbphone), all vital services (like state services, shopping and banking) will offer you options.

Mario.CH

Hi @Moem,

Is that how it is in your country? Not even a post office bank?

So before the age of the internet, home computers, and smartphones,
there were (I think in every country) banks with counters, but people started to get lazy, going to the bank is like that, isn't it?
Here in Switzerland, you still have the option of going to the counter.

And thanks to our political system, we will also resist such changes.
We must not allow cash to be abolished, because when paper money was introduced, our ancestors did not abolish gold. Both existed side by side in order to stabilize the currency.

Greetings
Mario

gpatel-fr

@Mario.CH said in Potentially turning a negative of Google's tightening restrictions into a positave:

Here in Switzerland, you still have the option of going to the counter.

I seem to remember that the Swiss central bank had toyed with the idea of using free (not as in beer!) money.
Wait, it seems to have actually happened already:

https://news.itsfoss.com/gnu-taler-swiss-operations/

Possibly this kind of system could be used to minimize risks involved in using such a vulnerable device as a phone (while being also privacy friendly of course). Wish my country could be so forward thinking.

Mario.CH

hi @gpatel-fr,

My main concern is that we ordinary people should get more involved instead of just consuming.

Keyword:
Democracy => Get informed and use your own voice (not the opinion of a relative, colleague, acquaintance, and for heaven's sake, not your boss) and take to the streets if it is necessary.

Market economy => Get informed and act immediately (change providers, shops, telecom's, and of course banks and insurance companies, etc.).

Greetings
Mario

Moem

@Mario.CH said in Potentially turning a negative of Google's tightening restrictions into a positave:

Is that how it is in your country? Not even a post office bank?

Yes, it's true that some of our banks do not have physical locations at all anymore.

ancientsounds

@Moem
ATM's, online, telephone, post? There are fewer and fewer banks in UK towns, but that doesn't mean you have to have a smartphone for banking. I guess we use plastic cards a lot more nowadays, but I don't feel any problem in not being able to run banking apps on my phone

Moem

@ancientsounds said in Potentially turning a negative of Google's tightening restrictions into a positave:

I don't feel any problem in not being able to run banking apps on my phone

Neither do I. I do my banking at home, on my laptop.
But then I use a bank that still allows customers to not use the app! Those are getting scarce here.