I have recently started university 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, for the dining plan, when it would literally work perfectly fine using your student ID and ordering to a real cashier, LIKE HOW IT HAS BEEN DONE FOR DECADES.

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

  • dylanmorgan@slrpnk.netEnglish
    40·
    1 year ago

    Funny you mention enshittification, I just watched a talk from Cory Doctorow who coined that term and he pointed out the reason for insisting on an app is that it means you can’t block ads without violating the DMCA. Browsers can have adblocker extensions, apps cannot (unless you hack them.)

    • FlumPHP@programming.devEnglish
      33·
      1 year ago

      it means you can’t block ads without violating the DMCA. Browsers can have adblocker extensions, apps cannot (unless you hack them.)

      I imagine this is just going to lead to more people using DNS ad blockers. My phone literally can’t access your ad server, sorry.

      • DAMunzy@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        29·
        1 year ago

        Private DNS FTW!

        dns.adguard.com

        On Android:

        1. Swipe down and select settings (the gear)
        2. Search for: DNS
        3. Select Private DNS.
        4. Select Private DNS again.
        5. Select Private DNS provider hostname.
        6. Enter: dns.adguard.com
        7. Select Save
        8. Enjoy most ads being blocked in apps.
        9. Might work poorly on public wifi (Walmart wifi for example doesn’t work with a private DNS set).

        On Apple:

        1. Fuck if I know.
      • MyNameIsIgglePiggle@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        92·
        1 year ago

        As an app developer some people just get hard for an app and don’t know why they would want one.

        It’s rarely some big plan just an ego thing

      • Serinus@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        If DNS ad blockers get popular enough, there are easy enough workarounds. The workarounds have tradeoffs such as security or stability, but they’ll serve the ads for at least the current year.

      • dylanmorgan@slrpnk.netEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Unless someone makes a router that does that in firmware, there’s a lot of people who won’t bother.

        • FlumPHP@programming.devEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          Honestly, the thing keeping me from rolling it out to my family is that it isn’t easy to override when you do want to see a site. Folks understand turning off uBlock Origin (or clicking proceed). I’ve only used Pi-Hole and NextDNS, but they really need a browser extension that will provide a better error message and an option to allow with a DNS cache clear.