Wispy2891@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Even in China, where you’re basically forced to login with mobile (+ otp verification) for almost every service, there’s no such requirement for downloading apps from app stores
Wispy2891@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Even in China, where you’re basically forced to login with mobile (+ otp verification) for almost every service, there’s no such requirement for downloading apps from app stores
SaraTonin@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Would you need to in China? i genuinely don’t know if downloading apps is something that’s done through WeChat but, if so, the government’s got direct access anyway.
Wispy2891@lemmy.world 3 days ago
Yes the stores are filled to the brim with low effort mobile
gamesad viewersSaraTonin@lemmy.world 3 days ago
What I mean is I know that a lot of things done online in China are done with WeChat, including it being something that some apps run in. If the same is true for what’s being discussed here, then the Chinese government doesn’t need people to prove their ages first, because they already have that data.
DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 3 days ago
WeChat seems to be invite-only, at least the last time I messed around with it.
You pretty much need to know someone to even sign up for a wechat account. Because supposedly, WeChat was infested with scammer accounts so this is one of the ways to minimize fraud, because you need an account in good standing to open another one, and if you do shady stuff, the investigators can just asked whoever invited you for your real identity. And of course, privacy intrusion is always one of the goals, anti-fraud is just one way to justify their policies.