[physicles]

This mirrors the situation in China, likely for similar reasons.

To this day, I can only do online banking with Internet Explorer 11. When logging in, of course the password field doesn't permit pasting. I have a couple ActiveX controls and certs installed, but I've forgotten which ones so I'll just have to keep that old laptop around. The one bright spot is that large transactions do require a USB dongle.

At least one other website I've used (perhaps Alipay?) required you to install a browser plugin simply to be able to "securely" enter your PIN.

Rewinding back to 2014, the brand new government website for buying train tickets[0] didn't have an SSL cert signed by any of the trusted authorities. If you wanted to buy tickets securely, you needed to download a zip file (over http) that contained 1) a self-signed root cert, and 2) a Microsoft Word document explaining how to add this to your OS's trusted root cert store and how this is totally legit and secure.

[0] https://www.techinasia.com/chinas-official-train-ticket-site...

[WiSaGaN]

Maybe 5 years ago, but now nobody uses web-based online banking any more in China. Most banks have decent mobile apps now, which have much better usability than the web-based ones. The IE situation is irrelevant now.

[physicles]

It doesn't bother you that your phone has the ability to make large, life-altering transactions?

Hmm the app for my bank is 2/5 stars and somehow 360MB. I'll avoid it unless I absolutely need it.

[WiSaGaN]

Then you probably don't use your phone as 2FA for any "large, life-altering transactions"?

[ThePowerOfFuet]

> At least one other website I've used (perhaps Alipay?) required you to install a browser plugin simply to be able to "securely" enter your PIN.

Straight-up government malware right there.

[thorncorona]

AliPay is 3rd party?

[PradeetPatel]

It has been established that large private enterprises in China have connections with the Communist Party of China, aka the government.

[4ggr0]

> It has been established that large private enterprises in [COUNTRY] have connections with the [POLITICAL SYSTEM] of [COUNTRY], aka the government.

Not disagreeing with you and I know that people should be aware of this, but I don't get why this fact is always quoted as if that's a special situation in China. I mean, take the US as an example, you can't tell me that large private enterprises have connections with the government. Same for 99% of the countries, no?

I'd say the same for my european country and all of my neighboring countries. Sure, it does depend who or what the government is.

[GauntletWizard]

There's a difference between "Has to follow the US and it's laws", "Has strong connections via technology forums and the revolving door of lobbying" and "Has government-mandated official positions that report to the party"

It's actually pretty low in direct effect - if the government wants the corporation's secrets, or even for a coporation to take actions on it's behalf, there are plenty of both public and private agents within the company that they can use to act or steal or whatever. What's important about it is the act of subservience. The latter is a direct admission that "The corporation serves the state's interests", whereas in the US and other free countries the state serves the people's interests, and the corporation is a group of people with common interest.

This is why Citizen's United is so important a ruling and under constant attack - Because it asserts the primacy of the people to make their interests heard, in opposition to the model where people serve the state.

[4ggr0]

> in the US and other free countries the state serves the people's interests, and the corporation is a group of people with common interest.

Does it? I'd argue that in a lot of free, western countries the state does serve the people, but more so the ruling class and those in power. Which can happen to align with the peoples interests, but often does not, in my opinion. Lobbying, advertising and the available funds for campaigns tips the scale heavily to one side. And those in power in the west are? Exactly, the rich people from the private sector.

Citizen's United seems okay, but you can't tell me that what this tries to prevent happens constantly behind closed doors. Of course that doesn't make it less important.

[est]

Spoiler alert: all major Chinese banks are controlled by CCP anyway. They don't even need a "browser plugin" if they really want to expose you.