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This is potentially a solution for some but it’s not perfect. If they had a trusted friend or family member who could store backup codes and deliver them as nee

This is potentially a solution for some but it’s not perfect. If they had a trusted friend or family member who could store backup codes and deliver them as needed, they could probably also just stay logged in on that person’s phone or even have emails sent you that person. Keep in mind that they have limited transportation and likely lose their contacts when they lose their phones, and many will have strained relationships with the housed people in their lives. A library solution may not scale. Sure, a librarian might develop a personal relationship and do this as a favor for someone. But the author mentions talking to about 30 people with this problem in his neighborhood, which suggests that if word got out a librarian was doing this and they tried to institutionalize it, a library might have to store codes for dozens or hundreds of people it has no way to authenticate.

jamesrr39 4y ago
I think there are possible solutions here for a library, off the top of my head, taking a picture of your face when dropping off the codes, so that when you come back and ask for your codes, the librarian can ID you against the picture they have. Basically what is done when verifying your ID card/passport when you travel/go to the bank etc... It wouldn't be a librarian doing someone a favour, but rather a service that libraries provide. This could be a great evolution for libraries. They are already a distributed, public system, that people in general trust, but their role in society has changed with the rise of the internet and online services, and this could be a really useful role they could fill.
- danpalmer 4y ago
  Yes this is sort of what I was envisioning. Not as much one trusted librarian doing a favour, but a librarian team having a filing cabinet full of backup codes and an ID process that they trust and that is appropriate for their community. This is the sort of thing that I think Google could support explicitly with more access control around it, but I don't think that's entirely necessary to get the benefits.
  - intrasight 4y ago
    It would be too much of a target for hackers.

jamesrr39 4y ago

I think there are possible solutions here for a library, off the top of my head, taking a picture of your face when dropping off the codes, so that when you come back and ask for your codes, the librarian can ID you against the picture they have. Basically what is done when verifying your ID card/passport when you travel/go to the bank etc... It wouldn't be a librarian doing someone a favour, but rather a service that libraries provide. This could be a great evolution for libraries. They are already a distributed, public system, that people in general trust, but their role in society has changed with the rise of the internet and online services, and this could be a really useful role they could fill.

danpalmer 4y ago
Yes this is sort of what I was envisioning. Not as much one trusted librarian doing a favour, but a librarian team having a filing cabinet full of backup codes and an ID process that they trust and that is appropriate for their community. This is the sort of thing that I think Google could support explicitly with more access control around it, but I don't think that's entirely necessary to get the benefits.
- intrasight 4y ago
  It would be too much of a target for hackers.