We’re in a cold revolution. That seems obvious to me.
That’s obvious to anyone paying attention.
My credit card company notified me last week that they were assigning a new card and number since there were security issues with some vendor I have done business with. Of course this requires me to go to whatever sites on the web where I shop and register a new card number for future purchases.
When I went to PayPal I was unable to sign in to my account. They seemed to be requesting a new password - with which I complied. I was still unable to log in to my account. I called the Cust Svc phone and asked for help; they stated that I did not have a mobile phone listed with them. I pointed out that I had no mobile phone. {I do have a flip phone, but rarely turn it on, only for family affairs, friends (who have the #) and emergencies; no texting or other fancy stuff.}
They notified me that they send security info to smart phones and that I would have to have one in order to do business with PayPal. I said then to cancel the account. They directed me to a sort of resolution center where we went through the same conversation.
Finally they agreed to cancel my PayPal account and instructed me to simply open a new account; I pointed out that they would likely send security codes to my phone again, to which they said yes they would - meaning it would be a pointless exercise.
So my point is this: are we coming to the point where we cannot buy or sell without a smart phone? Do I have to acquire a smart phone which tracks me wherever I go and keeps records of all my communications and business and personal transactions? Must I bear the costs of such an intrusion?
Old FReepers never die, they just fade away. 👴