I have recently started a new position and am required to use an app that has three Facebook trackers, one of them being a Facebook location tracker according to Exodus App Privacy in order to get your food when it would literally work perfectly fine ordering to a real cashier or shit even a website rather than having to download an app.
I have also read many stories of people that live in apartments that require them to use a mobile app for god damn LAUNDRY. All you need, is a card reader, and it will work perfectly fine like it has been for the longest time.
Privacy concerns aside, it is just annoying that you need this app and that app and this app and that app and it just clutters space on your phone. Security concerns too as now they have all of this additional info on you online, such as your phone number your email your real name, instead of just your credit card info like a card reader would have. And I am willing to guarantee that their security model is absolute horseshit because they have such a small team of engineers working on the app and the servers.
Literal enshitification
Magne
If an “app” has a web version I’m definitely on that. My exception would be installing it if thats not available via a webpage or so. Plus having a full control over my device (magisk/kernelsu + modules) and app manager on fdroid, warden to disable such trackers with the help of adaway.
One thing pissed me off was my banking institution, disabled its normal functionality (now only acts like a cpanel for your account) over webpage and the full functionality was transfered to the app (which contains 20 trackers) why tf you need that for in a financial app? Im done with them.
I went to Buffalo Wild Wings the other day and they tried to have me download an app to pay my bill. I almost had my first Karen moment when I saw that.
i want to go to a restaurant and get a physical menu, instead of having to dl an app using a QR code.
My favorite is when the QR code just points to their website, and you still have to choose a location, scroll through several pages of bullshit to find a menu, and select from a list of special menus to find the right one.
That’s IF you can get the QR code to even work, because it’s been sitting on a table for 3 years and has long since passed the point of usability.
yeah, dining out is a pure luxury, especially these days; i want to feel the paper and see the typesetting and take in the whole thing at once, not scroll thru 3 items at a time on a shitty pdf that doesn’t render quite right, on my fucking phone, like i do everything else
Oh so much this!!! I hate having to use their QR codes. I was told that using most new QR through our phones give these sites using them, access to our recent photos on the camera app… I have a two year old I don’t want people looking at whom I don’t know…
It absolutely does not give them access to anything unless you install their app.
QR codes are okay. They may be an annoyance, but they’re not nefarious or harvesting your data. (Again, unless you provide that data in another way, such as an app.)
The website may ask for your location, but the browser will prompt you for that. If you’re at the restaurant it’s fine to hit “only this time”.
That is good to know. I felt like crap when my friend told me that the using most QR codes weren’t safe to use as they give the host access to some of your phones data and I felt dumb for not knowing…
Nah, don’t feel bad about it. I had to think about it a bit and I’m a developer.
Your camera app could potentially harvest the url, but unless you’re using a weird third party camera app, I think that’s quite unlikely for now.
Google and Apple have other ways to get the same data. Is your default browser chrome or safari? They’d get the same data from opening a link and having it in your browser history. There’s no reason for getting the same data from your camera app in a way that would make (tech) headlines.
I’m chrome… sadly… but only on my phone cause it’s through boost mobile and it’s moto G stylus phone… so I am lucky android stuff even work on it… but it’s still kinda of sketchy and I was not gonna be surprised if it was true QR codes were accessing my data because of the phone type I use
Similarly I hate that everything requires an app when a webpage works absolutely fine.
Nothing more infuriating than sites that have a fully (or half) working mobile version but then force you to use the app (stars eyes at reddit)
Tangentially related, but I hate eating at Chili’s because they have little screens on every table. I don’t mind restaurants having a ton or TVs because they’re playing sports games and people want to watch them. Each of these POS machines has constant ads playing though. You can pay with it (and probably order stuff) but you can also pay to play games. It’s insane.
I’m guessing the reason for most things forcing you to use an app is less because of data harvesting, and more because it increases repeated use.
When you have to go to your browser and remember to check a website it’s harder to create a habit. If you have an icon flashing on your home screen every day it’s much easier to remember to go to their site. Sure you can “Add to Home screen” functionality, but average users don’t even know that exists.
It also feels like a bespoke app is more “professional” than a website, despite many apps secretly just being a website anyway.
That said, they are definitely harvesting your data. I just don’t think that’s the main reason for most apps.
My apartment “upgraded” us to digital locks and now we have to use an app to unlock our door. I was so pissed the entire time they were installing them. I don’t like the idea that the locks could run out of battery and keep us out, and I feel much more insecure in my apt. It also feels like our comings and goings can be spied on now. I hate this future.
Electric locks are supposed to fail safe. So if they run out of battery, they should remain open, not closed.
That does not sound awesome either. I Leave the apartment locked up, return to find the front door wide open because the battery died while I was out getting milk.
My keypad lock has a regular lock as a backup… Why not just do that.
Because your house getting robbed is better than you being trapped inside when there’s a fire.
But yes, a lock and key is better.
I have never look into this type of locks, but usually with non electric ones they have a way to open from inside without a key for that same reason. Any other way is dumb. So locked by default doesn’t sound bad, if there is a way to open it mechanically from inside, like turning a knob or similar.
Hey if you ever have to kick your door in make sure to take one or two steps and firmly flatly plant your foot on the door as near to the handle/knob/latch as you can. Try to step into and kick through it in stride. You’ll need as much of your weight thrown into the kick as you can. Remember how pissed you were while they were installing the new locks youll need that
Do not use your shoulder you will injure it
Beautiful!!
You can get number pad locks, no app just press the buttons. But yeah battery.
If only we had some physical object that could never run out of power, let’s call it a “key”…
The worst part of that is if your apartment management company gets phished then that person can now get into everyone’s apartment without setting off red flags to other residents since they can just unlock and walk right in.
Or some hacker decides to change the code…
I seem to remember some lawsuits about that situation
Also annoying: you can’t leave the house without your tracking device anymore :/
If the battery goes out do to something like power outage or something else and it remain locked, that sounds like the perfect excuse to “accidentally” start a fire and then claim you were trapped in your home due to the door not unlocking. Bonus points for acting like it shook up your whole life because you lost a lot of your possessions because the complex/building/whatever decided to remove physical locks.
Extra bonus points if a power outage or whatever genuinely locks you in, a fire breaks out, and you get hurt. In that case, if you have renters insurance, you may not only receive payout for that, but also for suing them if the door remained locked while there was no power.
Fire regulations require a crash bar to be able to leave a building regardless of the lock
Hopefully you’re looking at different place now
House insurance does not cover digital house lock
I once had a dorm room lock run out of battery. It is beyond annoying, I’m sorry for your loss.
I had the same thing happen. I also found out that’s if I kicked the door hard enough the lock gave way rather than brake.
I installed something similar at my house, just a keypad, not app connected. It’s awesome. But a key will still unlock it. They are wonderful if it’s not connected to the Internet.
I opened a bank account at Bank of America. Apparently it was just a matter of course to make people install the BOA app before opening an account. I practically had to fist fight them to get them to drop it. It was like they got commissions for every app install or something. Scary, honestly.
At least I learned from the experience that “I actually don’t have the Play Store on my phone” isn’t a good way to get them to drop it. I guess next time I get hard sold on an app, I’ll go the “I’ll decline the app, thanks” route. We’ll see whether that works or not.
Not surprised; BOA is the fucking Taco Bell of banking. The only one worse that I can think of is Wells Fargo.
Was gonna argue with you till you mentioned Wells (and I’ve had both Boa and Wells).
Screw banks, just left Wells for a credit union. Much better experience, saves me $500/year from the start.
I wonder if “oh I’m using some Nokia dumb phone” would have gotten them to stop
I figured “my phone’s weird and I don’t have the Play Store and can’t really install the app” would do it, but it really really didn’t.
Two different people pressured me to install the app. Both pressured me hard to show them (not at the same time, one after the other) that I didn’t have the Play Store. (And, yeah, I should have walked out before it got that far, but I’m not proud to admit I didn’t.)
The second one pressured me hard to go to such-and-such URL and download the BOA app in a way that didn’t require the Play Store. (Honestly, I was an extremely late adopter of smart phones. I didn’t and still don’t really fully know my way around them. And didn’t know you could just download an APK via a browser and install it. To be fair, I guess I still don’t know that for sure, because it didn’t work when this guy got me to do it.)
After that didn’t work I was like “it’s not like BOA doesn’t have a web app, right?” and hevery disapprovingly told me “but you know the web app isn’t secure.” I can’t say I’ve been literally shocked speechless many times in my life, but this was is one of them. (This was after I told him I’m a software engineer by trade. In fact, I’m a web developer and I’m the web application security guy on my team. Ha!)
I think “it won’t work on my phone” made these folks go into tech support mode. That surprised me. I figured they’d be fairly tech inept and not really want to get into a whole technical discussion. Which is why I’m thinking “I’d rather have a buffalo take a diarrhea dump in my ear than install your app” might bypass the “tech support” conversation to the distainful lecturing one.
What about “hello I’m your customer and I’m not installing your app.” End of argument.
“No”, is a complete sentence.
Ask any woman, they’ll tell you that only applies to men.
Or, “I have plenty of other banks I could open an account from that don’t require an app.”
How about a “I don’t trust your app”
And then when they persist, go to the store and ask them for each permission why the app needs it.
This is what I told my employer’s IT system. They have an app for non-standard 2fa that I had no interest in configuring so now I just get phone calls.
My apartment complex wants me to download some third-party app just to pay my rent, instead of using their perfectly serviceable web portal. I assume they’re getting a data harvest kickback that’s buried in several layers of fine-print legalese, which will be used to send me targeted spam and junk mail. And that data will be sold and re-sold to other parties ad infinitum. Whatever they can collect about my personal life, for sale to any asshole with enough cash in their pocket. Fuck that. I shouldn’t have to deal with this bullshit just to keep a roof over my head.
I was visiting family in the city I grew up in and we decided to go to this place that now charges for parking. It’s a city lot. I figured I have to get this app to park. The city app.
First, it was a nightmare of horrible bad UX and half-assed customization. Second, it took about 15 minutes of bs to pay for parking (time outs, a couple 2fa’s, we need you to use a social but we haven’t set up that login path correctly). Finally, get parking paid, my wife is losing her mind thinking I’m an idiot because it took so long, and then the spam calls started. I literally wasn’t into the building and I was getting spam texts and robo calls. I’m not talking “goods and services I might like” , this was “Canadian border services has determined you have unpaid fines” voicemails and “hi, i just found your number again can u text” type stuff. Just wild.
Oh I feel this in my soul. I am pregnant and have a two year old… I was and am a huge customer of pampers (and enfamil formula for when my two year old was little) the apps have kick backs… and against my better judgement z I broke down and got these apps for the kick back… I regret it… my email is overwhelmed with spam suddenly… an email I worked hard to get all the spam out of a few months ago… I am also getting random calls and voicemails for services I would never use. It’s so frustrating… I just wanted to the points for the products I normally buy to save a few pennies… but can’t do it with out my data being harvested and being spammed with crap
That’s terrible. So much data harvesting out there. It’s crazy. Cities and companies hire out to contractors that also do shady shit to the code to also harvest that data. It’s wild.
Yes, agreed. It’s not like it’s a big city but it’s big enough that it was obvious this was either a blatant cash grab or complete mismanagement (laziness/incompetence). Guessing the latter.
Does your lease precise you have to use the app or own a smartphone ? If not, get a cellphone, like those new 3210. Call them, ask them how to install, or visit their office. Play it dumb. Of they tell you to get a smartphone, tell them to provide you one.
Or use your bank’s bill-pay service. They’ll mail a check or send it electronically (which is effectively the same as using a debit card).
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This is why if a service cannot be used in a hardened browser, I usually pass.
I am okay-ish about a service collecting some of the data I generate while using the service, but not much beyond that.
Are you using apple or android? If you are using android check out adguard. It runs a local VPN and filters that shit out. I’ve actually had to white list some apps like geico because it broke them and they weren’t using (as far as I can tell) any fb or other data collection trackers.
While this is the recommended way for us tech savvy people to block trackers, it still doesn’t change this enshitification shift with data harvesting apps.
Not arguing that. I’m simply providing an option for those situations where you have no choice. Your other option may be to buy an old pixel or something and use it only for those apps that you can’t not use.
And as far as tech savvy? No, even the tech unsavvy to install it and set it up. Adguard isn’t pihole, you don’t have to run your own server, it does all of the work and if you can manage to browse tiktok or Twitter, you can use the app to white list any apps that need it to function properly.
I have seen maybe 10 ads in the past decade between adguard, noscript, etc. The times I’ve seen ads has been because I had to turn off adguard for a reason or forgot that I had a specific browser whitelisted for a reason.
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Then why are you bitching about this? If you are already blocking the trackers, why the need for this post?
Trackercontrol is also pretty nice
Honestly its fucking annoying literally had to make several user profiles just for my work life and my other invasive activities
I went to college before it was app everything and our student id’s were smartcards. Dining plan associated with the smartcard. Just stick it in the reader when you show up and you’re good. You could put cash on your card then use it for the vending machines or laundry or any little incidental on campus. If you needed cashed added to your account, your parents could go online and do it, or you could. That was the only online component. The entire system just worked without any fuss or privacy concerns or anything.
Yeah, same but they also worked as bus passes.
Almost without any privacy concerns. When I went to college around the turn of the millennium, I worked at the main food court on campus. We had a card system just like you’re describing. When we swiped the student’s card to pay for their meal, their student ID would come up on my screen. Their student ID was their SSN. Back then the first three digits of a person’s SSN was based on the state they lived in when they got their number assigned. For most people that was when they were a baby or at least very young, and for most people that’s the state they did most of their growing up in. I used to have most of the codes memorized, so when I’d swipe someone’s card and see that they had an SSN from someplace that wasn’t the state where the university was, I’d mention it. “Oh, hey, you’re from Ohio? My aunt lives in Ohio.”
Yikes! That was a privacy nightmare. We were fortunate that the university assigned a personal ID on enrollment. I think the only place that had access to the social was the front office. Of course some of the students worked at the front office. I hope they were required to sign an NDA.
That’s still how it works where I am, but the little devices to renew your card every semester are broken half the time, so yay
I like this too because it doesn’t require you to turn on NFC which I feel like drains power.
I mean, it does. But it’s such an insignificant amount you’d never notice.
If you got an hour of use out of your phone for instance, you’d only lose about 18 seconds runtime.
Huh, today I learned. I’d always assumed it was like Bluetooth or location.
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Our university made it so anything you can buy with the card was like 20-50% more expensive tho. I usually never bought anything on campus because of it :/
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Yeah it worked this was in the late 90s except your ID was a swipe card and it really only worked on food. You also had to go to the business office with a check to deposit more funds. Online was still dial up for most people.
They put Bluetooth in our apartment complex laundromat and if you don’t have a smart phone or Internet service on your phone, you don’t do laundry.
I use the work profile via Insular/Island, and certain apps I don’t like but do want I put in there, and freeze whenever not in use.
