I deactivated Google Play on my phone.
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@CiaraNi
The software sovereignty scale@notsoloud @sindum God idé!
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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 aurora store?
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@CiaraNi aurora store?
@lefteristrip23 Thanks for the suggestion. I looked that up and it's a Google Play workaround. And I'd have to reactivate my Google Play app and log in to it in order to set up Aurora. It's a fine idea. In the specific case, I'll choose just not to use their app any more also on principle because they are locking their own customers in to a third-party company.
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@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.
@mukto_manob Agreed. It's particularly problematic when it's essential services doing this, as you say. I've walked away from things like Spotify and Outlook mail, but I can't walk away from an essential service like the electricity company. All I can do is delete the app and write to them to let them know why.
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@CiaraNi Fighting the good fight sister! 💓
@ridethewildrover You are kind 🙂 It's the teeny-tiniest thing to do, but the communal effort to switch from Big Tech has motivated me to at least do this much - to write to companies and institutions, to let them know.
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@CiaraNi Præcis. Altså hvis de alligevel vælger at tilbyde folk med "rigtige computere" den samme oplevelse på en web, så slår de jo alle fluer med et smæk.
Når man vælger at lave en app, skal man pludselig forholde sig yderligere to ret specielle platforme, særlige app-store betingelser, et hav af forskellige telefoner og tablets. Det er meget mere komplekst.
Og, lyder det som, i dit tilfælde burde det være unødvendigt.
Hvad gør du så? Logger på Google, opdaterer, logger af igen?
@oldrup Der var to valg. At give efter, logge på Google Play og opdatere. Eller at logge ud af Norlys-appen og afinstalle den. Det var et nemt valg. Jeg har fjernet Norlys-appen. Jeg kan bruge websiden fra min PC når jeg er hjemme og har min kodeviser i nærheden.
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@leberschnitzel Good luck! I have started writing to companies to object to customer-unfriendly use of AI or services that are locked in to third-party Big Tech companies. I feel foolish, one small customer, but if enough of us do it, maybe they'll hear the collective voice.
It's NOT foolish. Rosa Parks was but one and certainly NOT foolish.
Sure, that was an entirely different and arguably much more important "topic", but everything each and every one of us does MATTERS.
YOU MATTER.
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@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.@ThePolishDispatch @CiaraNi
Obviously using Revolut to purchase without an app works (virtual card online and optional plastic card for physical shopping. But the App is needed to create the account and manage it or make a payment via IBAN. -
@ThePolishDispatch @CiaraNi
Obviously using Revolut to purchase without an app works (virtual card online and optional plastic card for physical shopping. But the App is needed to create the account and manage it or make a payment via IBAN.@raymaccarthy @ThePolishDispatch I'm at the Cranky With Big Tech stage where I won't even use a new app to start something and then delete it after setting up. It's time-consuming enough getting away from the ones I already have.
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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.@jschwart @agturcz @CiaraNi @Gina I've also never faced a smartphone requirement myself, but admittedly I do go out of my way to avoid getting into situations where that might happen, and I'm also perfectly willing to not do things if they would require those devices, just like I simply walk by any store that says "PIN only".
So I guess I'm not the best example case here. Banks are indeed the most problematic, although I do have accounts at four Dutch banks that don't require Android or iOS.
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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 As I am avid user of the non-googled 25yo phone for my daily talks I twice got asked "install app or else go away". They both (bank/telco) caved in when threatened with invoking EU anti-discrimintation laws and reporting them straight to the EC (It was before the 1499/1500 directives even, I was invoking 2019 one IIRC). I wonder whether Denmark anti-discrimination laws can be used to get at the google-happy company demandin customer in EU to use US-based services.
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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 This is all very interesting, and as for many others still the showstopper to buy freely a de-Googled phone.
I think there will be troubles here in Italy for long times, given the subjection that this country has to the US - foraged by the typical inertia. -
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 Ikke presist en "god appoplevelse"! And after a while, updating requires buying a new phone anyway . . .
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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 don't know what OS your phone are running, but some custom androids offer using microG, which solves at least some of the problems with not having google play.
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@raymaccarthy @ThePolishDispatch People keep recommending Revolut to me, particularly in Ireland, it seems to be common there. Every time I say: nope, not a chance, not another app. I use cash and, when unavoidable, my bank card when I travel.
@CiaraNi @raymaccarthy When I first heard about Revolut years ago it seemed like an interesting option for some use cases, but then I learned about their questionable work culture...
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@raymaccarthy @ThePolishDispatch I'm at the Cranky With Big Tech stage where I won't even use a new app to start something and then delete it after setting up. It's time-consuming enough getting away from the ones I already have.
@CiaraNi @raymaccarthy Same! I am very app-allergic. The few I have on my phone have very good reasons to be there.
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@oldrup Der var to valg. At give efter, logge på Google Play og opdatere. Eller at logge ud af Norlys-appen og afinstalle den. Det var et nemt valg. Jeg har fjernet Norlys-appen. Jeg kan bruge websiden fra min PC når jeg er hjemme og har min kodeviser i nærheden.
@CiaraNi Det er et fornuftigt valg. Jeg gør det samme. Benytter mobilen og dens apps hvor mobiliteten vitterlig gør en forskel (podcasts, kort, beskeder) og overlader fjernvameregnskabet, budgettet og e-boks til den store skærm på hjemmekontoret. Kan man kalde det et bevidst valg?
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@jschwart @agturcz @CiaraNi @Gina I've also never faced a smartphone requirement myself, but admittedly I do go out of my way to avoid getting into situations where that might happen, and I'm also perfectly willing to not do things if they would require those devices, just like I simply walk by any store that says "PIN only".
So I guess I'm not the best example case here. Banks are indeed the most problematic, although I do have accounts at four Dutch banks that don't require Android or iOS.
@kevin I have adopted a similar policy. I walk away from digital solutions or companies that want to force an unwanted digital solution on me. Or that refuse to take cash. With an essential service like utilities, I can't not be a customer, but I can and did delete the electricity company's app. I've only ever used a web browser for banking, so have luckily avoided that problem - coercive funtions in banking apps seems to be a big problem for many people.
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@CiaraNi As I am avid user of the non-googled 25yo phone for my daily talks I twice got asked "install app or else go away". They both (bank/telco) caved in when threatened with invoking EU anti-discrimintation laws and reporting them straight to the EC (It was before the 1499/1500 directives even, I was invoking 2019 one IIRC). I wonder whether Denmark anti-discrimination laws can be used to get at the google-happy company demandin customer in EU to use US-based services.
@ohir Interesting thought. I know that services like the public transport travel card (Rejsekort) and the government wwo-factor authentication system (mitID) require non-app alternatives because they can't exclude citizens. I don't know how non-discrimination laws would work for something like a utilities company or banking app.