Free To Stay Away From Android
==============================

In the last 15 months, it was quite obvious that being able to manage
bank account  and to buy  stuff online  could be quite  important. In
this spring, French  banks are making pressure on  clients to install
their own  app on smartphone, because  they are urged to  comply with
European Revised Directive on Payment Services (PSD2)[1].

The way banks are managing  this directive is quite predictable: they
want you  to install their app.  If you don't have  a smartphone, buy
one. If your  smartphone is too old, change it.  If your smartphone's
OS is not Android or iOS, install Android.

I never had an Android Smartphone. I bought BQ Aquaris E5 with Ubuntu
Touch as  my first  smartphone in  2015. I now  have two  other ones,
FairPhone 2 and PinePhone, both with  UBPorts installed. It is for me
obvious that  there will be no  bank app for  my phone, and I  do not
want such  an app. I understand  very well that security  with online
transaction is a big concern  and that strong customer authentication
is a  step in  the right direction.  What I want  is the  same system
I  use  with  Github,  OVH  or my  Nextcloud  server:  an  open  TOTP
authentication[2] that works with my  UBPorts 2FA Manager[3]. But the
first contacts  I had with  my bank on this  subject leave me  little
hope. My request  has no logic for  them: you  cannot refuse  to be a
Google client.

I  will probably  be considered  as a  client without  smartphone and
there is a chance that they have to find other solutions for us:
- to receive a vocal message on phone;
- to  receive (or buy,  not clear for the  moment) a little  box that
does the  same as  what my  smartphone will do  if they  support TOTP
authentication. Some banks sell for example the Digipass from OneSpan
company[4].

The other  present concern  in France for  non-Android/iOS smartphone
owners  is the  sanitary  passport that  French  government wants  to
enforce.  Same logic  at work:  it is  a good  way to  enforce people
to  install  anticovid  official   application,  which  is  only  for
Android/iOS.  People  without  this application  will  probably  have
access to part of the vaccinated  people's rights, by showing a paper
or a QR code. But things are quite unclear for now.

What I regret is that European Union and French government, which try
in many cases to protect consumers against GAFAM, don't consider this
use of smartphone apps with more care.

[1] gopher://gopherpedia.com:70/0/Payment_Services_Directive
[2] gopher://gopherpedia.com:70/0/Time-based_One-Time_Password
[3] https://gitlab.com/cibersheep/tfamanager
[4] gopher://gopherpedia.com:70/0/OneSpan