Gemini Users: We're Going to Look at Your Texts Whether You Like It or Not

I didn't think that I would be happy that I run de-googled Android so soon.

I'm glad I have automatic updates disabled

Seriously. There are times when I think "man Graphene is a bit of a hassle" but lots of times when I think "oh Google's being creepy jerks again, pretty sure it doesn't affect me."

If you didn't explicitly install and grant permission, it doesn't run on Graphene. It's such a nice default.

Just when I was thinking about getting an Android phone (ofcourse, I'd degoogle it - but then this is like playing whack a mole). Guess I'll just get an old OnePlus 6t or Sony Xperia and install Sailfish OS on it instead.

If you install an app whose role it is to "use your phone in your stead with AI for free" you don't have the right to act worried about privacy.

It says right in the popup alert message screenshot how to turn it off.

The only problem (at least for me) with de-googled Android is banking, at least where I live. You either can get an account in a bank where everything is done in person or by fax :|, or fully mobile bank that doesn't work without an app.

Well, it's not a big problem, because most of the bank apps still work, but they rely heavily on Google Play Services. It can partially be solved with a separate profile and Graphene's sandboxed Google Play Services, but still a bit annoying :(

I don't love iOS but boy I'm glad I switched to an iPhone recently.

First, banks generally have websites. Second, if the website sucks and your prefer the app (happens plenty), get a second older device that isn't de-googled and stays at home. There is no need to put all your eggs in one basket.

I'm all for hating Google or whatever but this just sounds like they're finally giving Gemini all the missing Google Assistant parts. You know so you can tell the damn thing to do things like add a new todo to todoist. Basic shit that worked years ago before Gemini broke it all and made it only work with Google's own apps in a monopolistic fashion Apple would be proud of.

What's confusing about disabling any Gemini integrations in your apps? Don't want Gemini to access todoist? Turn it off or deny the permission or whatever. So scary. This is basic Android 101.

Many banks use their apps as biometric 2FA for website login nowadays.

I haven't seen any of that in the US, still only SMS nags. It seems like banks that mandate login nags that only work with the latest devices should still be pretty rare? (with understanding and sympathy to any regions where they aren't).

I'm in the US and both the banks I use do this. It's probably optional but SMS 2FA is a complete joke due to the major security flaws of SMS. Presumably they could use a generic 2FA app but then it means they would have to provide technical support to the n-millionth backdoored spyware app that app stores get games to promote which has accountability and compliance implications. Another thing the apps do is instant confirm of suspicious activity and Google Pay which my understanding is keeps card numbers out of store databases that keep getting breached every other month.

From my perspective all of the "2FA" are nonconsensual steps I'd rather not do, so the easiest options are the least worst. My SMS# for them is a GVoice which goes to my email. Somewhere far down on my todo is a script that just watches for those emails and spits out the code in a terminal for easy pasting.

Specifically, Ally, Cap1, BoA, and my local bank all only make me do SMS/email nags at worst. If any of them started pushing trash like expecting to force me to install their app on my actual in-my-pocket-when-out cell-plan phone, I'd drop them like a bad habit.

I've never really had a problem with unauthorized transactions, and I'm generally not squeamish about random online retailers (though most seemed to have moved to Shopify, shrug). Generally the most important thing you can do to protect yourself against fraud is review the transactions on your account within 30 days, so any feature that makes it more difficult to do this actually hurts you.

Yeah this seems to be a standard AI scare mongering article for clicks. Seen a couple places run the same story. Not sure how people are able to read this as "Google is forcing you to send all texts to them."

Boy I hope your Gmail is never hacked and I also think it's a bit comical that you would build your financial security out of some Rube Goldberg Google service contraption while telling yourself that you're fighting the good fight against Google's encroachment in your life.

I do this kind of thing with a local model on Linux.

"Financial security" ? Don't you think you're overstating that a bit? We're talking about bank accounts bound by Regulation E, not bearer tokens like cryptocurrency.

Traditional bank accounts are quite close to an open ledger - the only thing one really needs to initiate a transaction against an account is the account number, which is printed on every check. As I said, the biggest fraud risk is not checking your accounts every ~30 days. Do this, and your liability is basically capped at having to fill out some paperwork and change account numbers.

The "Rube Goldberg contraption" is to mitigate the nonconsensual SMS nag by making it as easy as possible. My login security relies on my passwords. If someone can get those passwords, it means they've pwned my computing infrastructure and I have got much bigger problems than cleaning up unauthorized bank account activity.

As for GVoice, I chose to start using it because I saw Google and AT&T as similar attackers. I've stuck with it because it works for more of these types of things than other VOIP providers. With "AI" that original calculus might be changing, and if (when?) I decide to jump away from that then I'll probably move towards something like @rsync's "2FA Mule".

Many modern banks, so-called "neobanks", provide a very limited web version that's only good to check the balance. And you are forced to use their app.

You make me glad I only use credit unions.

Which banks support 2FA mules?

Honestly I appreciate these features.