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I feel a constant tension where companies and governments are all but demanding everyone owns a smartphone with one of these two specific operating systems for

I feel a constant tension where companies and governments are all but demanding everyone owns a smartphone with one of these two specific operating systems for all sorts of things (from banking, to authentication, to government services), but have to somehow facilitate the remainder of users as an afterthought. It makes a lot of things really suck, and that's ignoring all those walled gardens essentially requiring them (Whatsapp and Signal come to mind).

afandian 5y ago
More insidious is the requirement to have an account with Google or Apple.
- Freak_NL 5y ago
  That's what bugs me too. Having to enter a legal agreement with a foreign entity to use local services irks me out of principle.
dools 5y ago
Your government demands you own a smart phone?
- Freak_NL 5y ago
  You can of course function without one, but the nudging towards getting their authentication app is getting worse. For healthcare records, vendors in the Netherlands are required to move authentication of their portals to the government provided DigiD¹. Healthcare will be the first field where the minimum level of assurance is being raised to 'substantial', and this means that only authentication via the Android or IOS DigiD app will suffice (right now for other government functions like taxes and planning your booster shot you can also use SMS as (weak) 2FA). While the government is aware that there is a group of people who can't or won't use a smartphone or their app, there is no technological solution on the horizon, despite viable alternatives for 2FA existing (like WebAuthn). This is what I mean by “all but demanding”. Because you do have a right to view your medical records, there is a fallback option which essentially means going to the healthcare provider and asking for paper records. This is behavioural nudging taken to the extreme. 1: Broader than just DigiD actually, supporting European eIDAS standards, but for 99% of citizens this means DigiD.
  - dools 5y ago
    “ Because you do have a right to view your medical records, there is a fallback option which essentially means going to the healthcare provider and asking for paper records. This is behavioural nudging taken to the extreme.” I think this just illustrates how much easier smart phones make things. If we didn’t have smart phones for example, all your interactions with the government would be as cumbersome and inconvenient as this fall back option.
- Johnythree 5y ago
  For so many things. Need to scan a QR code to enter a building, or need to display Vaccine status. My bank now requires I run their mobile App to be able to log in, even if I'm on a PC. Most OTP authorisation requires you to receive an SMS code. Government departments are now only contactable via the Net, so a smart phone is the minimum unless you have a PC.
  - Freak_NL 5y ago
    > For so many things. Need to scan a QR code to enter a building, or need to display my Vaccine status. In the EU this fortunately can be done trivially with a paper QR code as well.
  - dools 5y ago
    “For so many things. Need to scan a QR code to enter a building” So there is a requirement to scan a QR code and there is no option to enter the building for people who don’t have a smart phone? “or need to display Vaccine status.” You can’t display your vaccine status without a smart phone? “My bank now requires I run their mobile App to be able to log in, even if I'm on a PC.” Is your bank run by the government? “Most OTP authorisation requires you to receive an SMS code.” SMS is available on any mobile phone, not just smart phones. Also many SMS OTP implementations include the option to receive a phone call. “Government departments are now only contactable via the Net, so a smart phone is the minimum unless you have a PC.” Okay so the government requires you have a computer and internet access, but not a smart phone.

afandian 5y ago

More insidious is the requirement to have an account with Google or Apple.

Freak_NL 5y ago
That's what bugs me too. Having to enter a legal agreement with a foreign entity to use local services irks me out of principle.

dools 5y ago

Your government demands you own a smart phone?

Freak_NL 5y ago
You can of course function without one, but the nudging towards getting their authentication app is getting worse. For healthcare records, vendors in the Netherlands are required to move authentication of their portals to the government provided DigiD¹. Healthcare will be the first field where the minimum level of assurance is being raised to 'substantial', and this means that only authentication via the Android or IOS DigiD app will suffice (right now for other government functions like taxes and planning your booster shot you can also use SMS as (weak) 2FA). While the government is aware that there is a group of people who can't or won't use a smartphone or their app, there is no technological solution on the horizon, despite viable alternatives for 2FA existing (like WebAuthn). This is what I mean by “all but demanding”. Because you do have a right to view your medical records, there is a fallback option which essentially means going to the healthcare provider and asking for paper records. This is behavioural nudging taken to the extreme. 1: Broader than just DigiD actually, supporting European eIDAS standards, but for 99% of citizens this means DigiD.
- dools 5y ago
  “ Because you do have a right to view your medical records, there is a fallback option which essentially means going to the healthcare provider and asking for paper records. This is behavioural nudging taken to the extreme.” I think this just illustrates how much easier smart phones make things. If we didn’t have smart phones for example, all your interactions with the government would be as cumbersome and inconvenient as this fall back option.
Johnythree 5y ago
For so many things. Need to scan a QR code to enter a building, or need to display Vaccine status. My bank now requires I run their mobile App to be able to log in, even if I'm on a PC. Most OTP authorisation requires you to receive an SMS code. Government departments are now only contactable via the Net, so a smart phone is the minimum unless you have a PC.
- Freak_NL 5y ago
  > For so many things. Need to scan a QR code to enter a building, or need to display my Vaccine status. In the EU this fortunately can be done trivially with a paper QR code as well.
- dools 5y ago
  “For so many things. Need to scan a QR code to enter a building” So there is a requirement to scan a QR code and there is no option to enter the building for people who don’t have a smart phone? “or need to display Vaccine status.” You can’t display your vaccine status without a smart phone? “My bank now requires I run their mobile App to be able to log in, even if I'm on a PC.” Is your bank run by the government? “Most OTP authorisation requires you to receive an SMS code.” SMS is available on any mobile phone, not just smart phones. Also many SMS OTP implementations include the option to receive a phone call. “Government departments are now only contactable via the Net, so a smart phone is the minimum unless you have a PC.” Okay so the government requires you have a computer and internet access, but not a smart phone.