Hacker News Reader

Comment by notemaker | Hacker News Reader

In Sweden, all users are locked to whatever OS:s our mobile ID verification app BankID [1] supports. Yes you can opt to use a physical 2fa device to log onto your bank, but you're missing out on 99% of the digital banking infrastructure.

So, even if I'd like to order one, I won't. The friction is too great.

[1]: https://www.bankid.com/en/

View on HN

For context, this is not just about banking services. This is our trusted e-identity card. It is used for tons of systems where we need to prove that we are who we day we are. Everything from declaring our taxes to signing documents electronically to, yes, various banking apps.

Also, I feel the same as you, notemaker. I would if I could, but without BankID, I could just add well get a dumbphone.

Fellow Swedes, change is coming in the form of the new national e-identity ID-card[1]. With this you would only need a smart card reader and a compliant browser in order to use eID and electronic signatures. As opposed to BankID this can be used to create derivative e-identities.

[1]: https://www.regeringen.se/pressmeddelanden/2019/03/utredning...

Has there been any progress on this? Seems like one of those things that sound great but might take a decade to get through the bureaucracy and implementation.

In Lithuania we have secure(?) SIM cards that can be used instead of app for such purposes, the app being SmartID.

Although I wonder whether secure SIMs work with dumbphones, have not researched how it actually works (probably a type of SMS?).

Upon request, you have to provide sPIN1 to initiate an action and sPIN2 to finish it (login to bank, approve a transfer).

Dumb phones probably are able to use a SIM card app for that purpose.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_Application_Toolkit

There is a similar banking cartel in Finland. It's so odd how people consider banks to be citadels of trust.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com