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Gmail registration now requires scanning a QR code and sending a text message

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Re: Gmail registration now requires scanning a QR code and sending a text message

#191

Post by raizer88 »

Night_Thastus wrote: post #177

People complain a lot about Gmail, but honestly I kind of understand Google's plight here. They've essentially gotten roped into maintaining a huge chunk of internet infrastructure, for free . If they ever shut it down the whole world would end up rioting because it's so widely used. But it's expensive, complicated and time-consuming to maintain - and both a source of and recipient of endless waves of spam and scams.…

Do you have any idea of how much they can datamine from an email service? Just making a special parser for amazon emails can give google a realtime insight on the ecommerce space.

Re: Gmail registration now requires scanning a QR code and sending a text message

#192

Post by catlikesshrimp »

AstroBen wrote: post #137
lenerdenator wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not just me; most people won't. That's the issue.

Why is it an issue? I don't care what other people do with their email.

Because when most people use the one email host, they neglect all other users. Even my yahoo email is regarded as second grade citizen now. A hospital straight told me they refuse all yahoo addresses.

Re: Gmail registration now requires scanning a QR code and sending a text message

#194

Post by tomjen3 »

dotancohen wrote: post #175
mghackerlady wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What happens when your phone can't do that? I use a flip phone. It can't scan QR codes despite having a camera

My S24 Ultra no longer has rear cameras, they no longer work after the phone fell from a table. I can not scan QR codes either. So many companies - such as electric car charging stations - require this without considering failure modes and alternative workflows.

They properly do, but then conclude that it would be more costly to implement and create those workarounds than not getting the extra 0.01% of users.

Re: Gmail registration now requires scanning a QR code and sending a text message

#195

Post by traderj0e »

8cvor6j844qw_d6 wrote: post #3

Recently helped a small business set up a Google Workspace account and we hit a wall during registration. Told the owners that if Google is already being difficult during signup, imagine being locked out later with client work on the line. Pulled up a few horror stories about Google lockouts to drive the point home. They ended up with another workspace solution.

What do they use instead? Grass tends to be greener on the other side. Though it wouldn't surprise me if Microsoft offered better support despite having a worse product.

Re: Gmail registration now requires scanning a QR code and sending a text message

#196

Post by Analemma_ »

thewebguyd wrote: post #116
traviswingo wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can’t prove it, but it feels like the world recently decided that spamming/scamming is acceptable, so the number of spammers/scammers has increased dramatically. The number of spam calls, texts, emails, iCloud account unlock requests, etc I’ve received in the last year is insane.

Lack of accountability for the companies that allow their services & platforms to be used for spam/scamming. Take DocuSign for instance. Still, this many years later, is a major source of phishing emails from their free trials. DocuSign could easily shut this down today by either requiring a CC for the trial, or forcing a call with a sales rep to start a trial. But they don't, they continue to allow their service to…

I feel like there's no way for them to win, though. The kind of accountability you're talking about what require them to do essentially tons of KYC/AML vetting, and HN would be equally outraged about that.

Re: Gmail registration now requires scanning a QR code and sending a text message

#197

Post by traderj0e »

windexh8er wrote: post #28
thrownaway561 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everyone hates on Microsoft, but their platform is 50x better than Google. Personally nowadays I would be looking at Proton if I was going to setup a workspace for my company.

This is hilarious. Microsoft has had many issues and outages with M365 in the last few years. I mean, I guess if you don't rely on mail, then sure.

Nobody cares about very temporary outages, they care about support

Re: Gmail registration now requires scanning a QR code and sending a text message

#198

Post by traderj0e »

greentea23 wrote: post #114
flumes_whims_ wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably depends on how "trust worthy" you seem to Google for them to trigger this requirement. Things like using Linux, using Firefox, using a VPN, etc.

The irony is that no real scammer would use this setup because they know it would stand out.

Denying scammers the ability to use VPNs and virtual phone farms without standing out does make their job harder

Re: Gmail registration now requires scanning a QR code and sending a text message

#199

Post by tomjen3 »

guidedlight wrote: post #63
arjie wrote: post #58

I went through it to register just now. No QR code required. Same flow as it has been for years: 1. Personal/Child/Business 2. First/Last 3. Pick email 4. Date of Birth 5. Backup email / Skip 6. Password 7. Enter phone number 8. Confirm with 2FA code 9. Done. I just made the email testregistrationflow@gmail.com and have since forgotten the password. So that’s one burned. But feel free to try testregistrationflow1@gma…

They should probably go back to the original invite only flow they used when Gmail launched. Every account having the ability to invite an only small finite number of new accounts is one way to thwart scammers.

That's certainly an interesting idea - mostly everybody should know someone who has a gmail account, so if you get a couple invites a month, that should be plenty and the setup would

Well I was about to say destroy scammers, but I just realized that they would send out spam to places where you could gamble your invites for Real Cash(TM) or just straight up buy them.

This would lower the creation of accounts, but then they would be rarer and worth more to spammers, since a spamming gmail would be rare.

And we would hear sob stories of people getting their accounts closed for inviting spammers.

Re: Gmail registration now requires scanning a QR code and sending a text message

#200

Post by catlikesshrimp »

CWwdcdk7h wrote: post #16

Last time YouTube wanted to verify my phone number it was easier to find a free service to receive SMS than for Google to deliver it to my actual phone. And Google didn't care I "verified" a number assigned to other side of the world.

If you create an account from another country, since you can only send the sms verification from that country, locks your account to that country for at least one year. I created a US account years ago and it still is US. I don't even spoof my location.
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