I deactivated Google Play on my phone.
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@CiaraNi was the response signed by someone with "RH" for initials?
@mk No? I don't understand the reference. RH?
It was signed by a staff member with name and title and department.
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R relay@relay.mycrowd.ca shared this topic
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@woody For the moment, I am going to write to make my point directly to any company that bricks their app because I don't use Google or Apple.
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@Gina @agturcz @fdroidorg @bo Same problem here with banking apps and, in some cases, the government ID app. I hope non-proprietary versions come soon. The government ID ('mitID') app problem is easy to work around, at least - there's a non-app alternative, a nice simple physical code-displayer. (I'm blanking on the English word for the yoke.)
@CiaraNi "MitID code display"! There's also a little device that reads the code out loud. I think that one is called MitID audio reader.
They're free btw. And even if people also use the MitID app they should have it as a backup if for some reason their phone craps out.
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@CiaraNi "MitID code display"! There's also a little device that reads the code out loud. I think that one is called MitID audio reader.
They're free btw. And even if people also use the MitID app they should have it as a backup if for some reason their phone craps out.
@Pepijn Thanks! I was, by chance, close enough with 'code-displayer' so. I love my little code-display, it is so quick to use. I have the physical Chip version too as a back-up. And there's a physcial audio version too, as you say. You have to pay for an extra physical device, but it's a reasonable price, and ok given that the first code-display is free.
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I deactivated Google Play on my phone. The electricity company app was the first to be bricked. 'You must update.'
I wrote to them: ’I don’t have Google or Apple. Where else can I update the app?’ Nowhere else, they replied.
I wrote (politely) back: ’I can’t use your app any more then. It’s an odd requirement to make of your customers. A Norlys customer can only access all Norlys services if they are also a customer of one of two specific private for-profit US companies.’
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I deactivated Google Play on my phone. The electricity company app was the first to be bricked. 'You must update.'
I wrote to them: ’I don’t have Google or Apple. Where else can I update the app?’ Nowhere else, they replied.
I wrote (politely) back: ’I can’t use your app any more then. It’s an odd requirement to make of your customers. A Norlys customer can only access all Norlys services if they are also a customer of one of two specific private for-profit US companies.’
@CiaraNi I'm trying to explain the same thing to the Swiss Government...
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I deactivated Google Play on my phone. The electricity company app was the first to be bricked. 'You must update.'
I wrote to them: ’I don’t have Google or Apple. Where else can I update the app?’ Nowhere else, they replied.
I wrote (politely) back: ’I can’t use your app any more then. It’s an odd requirement to make of your customers. A Norlys customer can only access all Norlys services if they are also a customer of one of two specific private for-profit US companies.’
@CiaraNi i wonder if the app exists on a non-goog repository like Aptoide so you can update Goog-free
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@caffetino Fair play to the volunteers who started the campaign. There's a similar one in Germany and maybe other places. I hope you get something similar in the UK!
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@agturcz @CiaraNi @Gina there is https://www.appdwang.nl/ by @kevin.
At the same time, I haven't ran into a smartphone requirement myself yet in the Netherlands, either generally or blessed by Apple/Google. Such situation would create a problem as I would not have a suitable device.
Especially banks do appear notorious to try to push for this though. -
I deactivated Google Play on my phone. The electricity company app was the first to be bricked. 'You must update.'
I wrote to them: ’I don’t have Google or Apple. Where else can I update the app?’ Nowhere else, they replied.
I wrote (politely) back: ’I can’t use your app any more then. It’s an odd requirement to make of your customers. A Norlys customer can only access all Norlys services if they are also a customer of one of two specific private for-profit US companies.’
@CiaraNi vi bør opfinde en mærkningsordning så man let kan se inden man vælger en leverandør om man kan bruge den på en suveræn platform. Hvad skal vi kalde det?
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@AccordingtoWouter 'Force' is the right word. It's telling paying customers: 'Be a customer of Google or Apple too if you want to use our services'.
@CiaraNi I hope that all these companies will soon see the light and start developing alternatives. But we as customers can also do something. Namely, stop using them en masse. Then it will be over quickly. We are also letting it slide.
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@mk No? I don't understand the reference. RH?
It was signed by a staff member with name and title and department.
@CiaraNi a former coworker works there. At least on one occasion she surprised me, and very positively, and doing so made me realise how much big companies can do good and give people a good experience just by having the right kind of human deal with customers, and "deal with" should always be "help".
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I deactivated Google Play on my phone. The electricity company app was the first to be bricked. 'You must update.'
I wrote to them: ’I don’t have Google or Apple. Where else can I update the app?’ Nowhere else, they replied.
I wrote (politely) back: ’I can’t use your app any more then. It’s an odd requirement to make of your customers. A Norlys customer can only access all Norlys services if they are also a customer of one of two specific private for-profit US companies.’
@CiaraNi
And some used to have websites that worked. An Post Banking specifically disabled that to have App only.
Also there is the erroneous claim that an Android or iOS app is more secure.Banking, billing & usage for services etc should only be licenced if they have a fully functional web site that works also with screen readers. An app should be an option.
Apps to play my local mp3s, read local ebooks, take and view my local photos / videos is OK, but none of those should report online. -
@CiaraNi interesting story. Does not having a mobile app precludes you entirely from paying your bills or you can continue by making bank wire transfers?
@ThePolishDispatch @CiaraNi
Revolut can't be used without an App.
An Post Banking has limited counter services without the App.
But PayPal and my Credit card work 100% on the website without an App. Both keep advertising the App, which I have never installed.
Also the daft Credit Card people think adding my account to Google Wallet and adding NFC is more secure.
I only use the CC online & the card lives at home. NFC is disabled. I have no intention of using Google pay/wallet. Or having Apple. -
I deactivated Google Play on my phone. The electricity company app was the first to be bricked. 'You must update.'
I wrote to them: ’I don’t have Google or Apple. Where else can I update the app?’ Nowhere else, they replied.
I wrote (politely) back: ’I can’t use your app any more then. It’s an odd requirement to make of your customers. A Norlys customer can only access all Norlys services if they are also a customer of one of two specific private for-profit US companies.’
@CiaraNi good job! PWA or desktop site!
No one should have ever gotten comfortable with “app stores,” not that we were given much choice. I remember jailbreaking iPhone 3GS. That gave me more features and control of the device than any we have today. The API restrictions of vanilla iOS and Android allow such insane abuse of the customer by the OEMs and telecom providers, locking you out of something you own.
(Looks like iPhone #jailbreak is still a thing but just barely…
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@CiaraNi i wonder if the app exists on a non-goog repository like Aptoide so you can update Goog-free
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I deactivated Google Play on my phone. The electricity company app was the first to be bricked. 'You must update.'
I wrote to them: ’I don’t have Google or Apple. Where else can I update the app?’ Nowhere else, they replied.
I wrote (politely) back: ’I can’t use your app any more then. It’s an odd requirement to make of your customers. A Norlys customer can only access all Norlys services if they are also a customer of one of two specific private for-profit US companies.’
@CiaraNi The google tie in is really annoying. The electric company also might find them self in problems with Alphabet in the future.
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I deactivated Google Play on my phone. The electricity company app was the first to be bricked. 'You must update.'
I wrote to them: ’I don’t have Google or Apple. Where else can I update the app?’ Nowhere else, they replied.
I wrote (politely) back: ’I can’t use your app any more then. It’s an odd requirement to make of your customers. A Norlys customer can only access all Norlys services if they are also a customer of one of two specific private for-profit US companies.’
@CiaraNi So frustrating. "How did people do anything before iPhones and Androids?" They made it work. Websites, branch offices, mail-ins, what have you.
Except all those types of business presence got nuked once "just download our shitty app" became the cheap default.
It's never been a sensible choice to be so dependent on smartphones let alone 2 private OS vendors in 1 unstable country.
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I don’t think I would have got that response if I hadn’t been able to link to the DanmarkSkifter campaign site. That showed there really is a grassroots movement and that people are actually making the switch away from BigTech.
Tak and thank you to everyone at #DanmarkSkifter for giving us a way to talk about the need for change and the tools to actually make the changes.
I don't know if other countries have an equivalent to the 'Denmark Switches' campaign. I hope so. It's a great initiative.
RE: https://mastodon.nu/@suddigare/116194365649110453
@CiaraNi Some people from Sweden got inspired and has startede something.
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I deactivated Google Play on my phone. The electricity company app was the first to be bricked. 'You must update.'
I wrote to them: ’I don’t have Google or Apple. Where else can I update the app?’ Nowhere else, they replied.
I wrote (politely) back: ’I can’t use your app any more then. It’s an odd requirement to make of your customers. A Norlys customer can only access all Norlys services if they are also a customer of one of two specific private for-profit US companies.’
@CiaraNi More and more companies are moving away from web interface in favour of Apple and Google, forcing everyone into that a d preventing users from choices. These include essentials services like banks and utilities which are not right.
