Post by @paul
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Can no longer download some Play Store apps using the anonymous Aurora Store account.
Can no longer use my old spare gmail account without giving Google my cell number.
Can no longer sign up for a new gmail account without giving Google my cell number.
This is not normal.
This is not ok.
What the actual flaming forking fork?
Tentatively connected...
my wife this week got banned from WhatsApp until she can "download the official app"
Thing is, she is using the official app, downloaded from the play store.
Now it could be due to googly play integrity failing due to...well, it's a cheap unbranded phone, you may connect the dots there. But still, it is official play store downloading official WhatsApp.
Frankly, if anyone in this house is going to get blocked from whatsapp it's me - I got WhatsApp from aurora and use an XMPP bridge to use it in an XMPP client instead of their shitty app. But no I'm fine apparently.
Totally not OK, greedy capitalists. Not OK.
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I'd rather use tin cans and string than whatsapp. XD
I know it's hard to say no to outside of the U.S., though, thanks to silly cell carriers being super greedy with SMS fees.
@rl_dane@polymaths.social yup. Me too, hence me bridging it to at least get some distance, but still yuck.
In the UK SMS is generally free (or at least, so many per month) but we're stuck in the "everyone uses WhatsApp so I must too" fallacy.
My wife and I message over XMPP so our communications are unaffected 😆