Sure, I complain basically every week, but it's like moving a mountain. It was the government's idea, and they're very gung-ho on continuing with it. The official reason is fighting tax evasion, but the more probable one is that the ruling elite has major stakes in all major banks, so they're very interested in making everyone dependent on those banks.
The only realistic thing left for me is moaning about it on the ole 'net and hoping (probably in vain) that this disease doesn't spread further to other countries. Western democracies are already in the process of copying several bad ideas we implemented 10+ years ago (and China more than 20 years ago), I don't see a reason why this also wouldn't be ported over.
And the digital sovereignty argument doesn't really work, one of the banks uses its own payment system — mostly copied from Chinese AliPay — and it's the most popular one here. Zero dependence on "the West" other than the phones themselves, where they think they have an alternative in Huawei and friends, and you're gonna have to depend on someone in any case, even just for internet infrastructure, or even cash printing machines.
> Zero dependence on "the West" other than the phones themselves
A smartphone today is the most essential and private thing you have. This is as far from "zero dependence" as you can get.
> they think they have an alternative in Huawei and friends
Do Huawei phones work for banking in your country? If yes, does it mean, Google Play / integrity isn't necessary?
Huawei phones have their own alternatives to Play Services; none of the banks work on pure ungoogled and un-everything Android. You have to use a locked device which you have zero control over in any case.
The problematic companies are all Russian/Chinese/USian(/Israeli ?) last I checked, so what "the West" generally has to do with it ?
The reply was to GP's:
> Forcing you to use foreign megacorps for essential services should be illegal if not already.
The only two major mobile operating systems are developed by American companies. The two most popular global payment processors are maintained by American companies. The hardware is jointly developed by a bunch of countries, basically all of them in North America and Western Europe.
If one brings up digital sovereignty, should I think not of "the West", but of Tokelau, South Africa, or Brazil?