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This is one of the things I worry about - a duopoly not just backed by two wealthy and shady megacorps but also effectively by law as it mandates a mobile app for some things yet the app only exists for iOS and Android & no public API is available.

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Shouldn't they at least support the Web?

Several of the “challenger” / “FinTech” banks in the UK (e.g. Monzo, Starling) require the use of their app. They offer limited read-only views via web, but only offer all features via app. No iOS / Android phone? Go to a different bank.

Starling do offer an API anyone can use to interact with their own account. Doesn't allow full functionality yet though.

Even when using the web, some of the banks' websites require a step that involves your phone.

The phone app is effectively used as a hardware security token.

The short stories in Caroline M Yoachim’s Shadow Prison trilogy explore the implications of locking society in to a single mobile platform:

https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/the-shadow-prison...

Great stuff. (No affiliation.) I need to dig into her other work. Apparently quite a bit of her other stuff is also available online for free.

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