Ask HN: Non-duopoly smart phone in Sweden? dalke on March 16, 2024 at 10:49 Hacker News: Front Page

Are there people in Sweden or the EU working towards changing the laws to require critical services (banks, school, health care, and the like) to support privacy-oriented non-Apple/non-Google servers for smart phone use?

I live in Sweden. I do not have a smart phone because I do not agree to the terms of service for the Apple Store or for Google Play, and have the luxury of not needing a smart phone for my life.

It is getting harder because Swish (person-to-person payments) and Mobil BankID are so widely used, while BankID on a computer is not. My gym recently switched from an RFID card to phone QR code to enter, and I get the idea the chain doesn’t want to continue to support the handful of people like me without a phone.

A couple of days ago I learned about /e/OS and de-Googled phones. I like the privacy orientation, the EU location of company, and the fact that they haven’t been fined 2 billion Euro for abusing monopoly power or found to violate EU privacy laws. I am willing to pay the 800 EUR for a Murena Fairphone 5 … if I know it will work.

However, BankID says they do not support /e/, and even if it works now, they say all risk is on me if does not work in the future. That is not a risk I want to take. I figure it’s easier stay with what I know works than to backtrack in the future.

This requires a political solution. I figure others are working on this. Are there any suggestions for who they are?

Additionally, what laws are in place to require support for those without a smart phone? My barber dropped debit card support in favor of Swish, but still accepts cash. But places are increasingly going cash-free, which may mean Swish-only in the future.

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39726937

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