Forced app download: Difference between revisions
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#'''Deliberately crippling or removing functionality from the web experience''' - Prevent users from having an alternative interface to perform basic tasks.{{Citation needed}} | #'''Deliberately crippling or removing functionality from the web experience''' - Prevent users from having an alternative interface to perform basic tasks.{{Citation needed}} | ||
#'''Forcing users to always be on the latest version of an app''' - "For your security" (as they usually claim), most of these apps will constantly check for the latest version and self-disable if they are older than x-version.{{Citation needed}} (varies by company)<!-- Imgur example: https://imgur.com/gallery/i-hate-this-type-of-bgGI7LR - JamesTDG --> | #'''Forcing users to always be on the latest version of an app''' - "For your security" (as they usually claim), most of these apps will constantly check for the latest version and self-disable if they are older than x-version.{{Citation needed}} (varies by company)<!-- Imgur example: https://imgur.com/gallery/i-hate-this-type-of-bgGI7LR - JamesTDG --> | ||
#'''Mandatory use of account''' - For most of these apps to work, you must have an account for features to work.{{Citation needed}} For example, making an order with Luckin Coffee mandates installing the app and creating an account tied to a personal phone number;{{Citation needed}} guests are disallowed from making orders incognito.{{Citation needed}}<!-- Citation actually needed here --> | #'''[[Forced account|Mandatory use of account]]''' - For most of these apps to work, you must have an account for features to work.{{Citation needed}} For example, making an order with Luckin Coffee mandates installing the app and creating an account tied to a personal phone number;{{Citation needed}} guests are disallowed from making orders incognito.{{Citation needed}}<!-- Citation actually needed here --> | ||
==Key implications== | ==Key implications== | ||
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[[File:Digital | [[File:Digital Turbine logo.png|thumb|alt=Digital Turbine logo|thumb|Digital Turbine logo]] | ||
[[File: | [[File:Singapore banks no unverified apps.png|thumb|Singapore banks will "restrict access if unverified apps AKA sideloaded apps are found on customers' phones" (News story from Sep 2023)]] | ||
==Examples== | ==Examples== | ||
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All banks in Singapore (Citi, DBS, UOB, OCBC, Standard Chartered, CIMB) mandate use of their apps for consumers to perform any online banking activities, including logging in via their web browser. | All banks in Singapore (Citi, DBS, UOB, OCBC, Standard Chartered, CIMB) mandate use of their apps for consumers to perform any online banking activities, including logging in via their web browser. | ||
[[File:Luckin Coffee forced app download.png|thumb|Luckin Coffee, a China-origin Starbucks competitor, forces you to download their app to order and pay for coffee. You cannot order coffee at the cashier in their store, let alone pay. You must use the app to interact with this business and digital payments to pay.]] | [[File:Luckin Coffee forced app download.png|thumb|Luckin Coffee, a China-origin Starbucks competitor, forces you to download their app to order and pay for coffee. You cannot order coffee at the cashier in their store, let alone pay. You must use the app to interact with this business and digital payments to pay.]] | ||
[[File: | [[File:Citibank Singapore forced app download.png|thumb|Citibank Singapore has deliberately disabled many basic functions such as rewards redemption on its website since 2024, forcing users to download and use their mobile app as an "alternative".]] | ||
The apps generate notifications that require users to approve/deny actions like logging in via a web browser, initiating a payment, adding a payee, etc via the app itself. Some banks previously offered sending an OTP via SMS (text) as an alternative to app-based approval but this has since been discontinued for "security reasons". | The apps generate notifications that require users to approve/deny actions like logging in via a web browser, initiating a payment, adding a payee, etc via the app itself. Some banks previously offered sending an OTP via SMS (text) as an alternative to app-based approval but this has since been discontinued for "security reasons". | ||