I’ve always been very private oriented: I started using linux-debian 20 years ago after discarding windows and apple. I rarely buy online but when I did, to be as private as possible I used to create an account using fake data by the e commerce platform I wanted, get my order and then ignore the account until I wanted yo use it again. Most of the times I used a vpn.
This worked till the platform banned me.
Now I’m thinking about investing in ETFs to build some capital for my retirement and platforms recommended to me like trade republic or scalable capital seem to be exclusively smartphone reliant. I wouldn’t use fake data to create accounts here, nor would it be possible (bank data involved).
The trouble with smartphones: I don’t want to be that guy changing smartphones every 2 or even 4 or 8 years. Spending $200 to $800 for a phone for such a short period of time is just a dumb idea, but I don’t know if it would be safe to use my 2018 android 8 smartphone to invest in ETFs. This 2018 model is my first smartphone. It’s a second hand one somebody gave me because he thought I really needed it. I would have never bought a new smartphone on my own. However, unsupported models are not secure for investing and this model stopped being supported years ago.
Another trouble I see: to use scalable capital or trade republic I’d have to download their app in my smartphone. Google is a company I don’t trust. Each time I needed to use something from their app database I got it using aurora, but I’m afraid scalable capital will automatically ban me if I download their app from f-droid instead of doing it officially using google. Using google to create an account would mean giving them my real data, because otherwise I risk being labeled a scammer. Correct me if wrong.
I’d love to invest using only a browser on a desktop.
If you are in the US, take a look at Fidelity or Vanguard. They haven’t required the use of a smartphone app.
Using a phone with Android 8 isn’t best practice for security by any means, but unless you are being targeted or going around downloading shady apps, it’s more likely it will run into app incompatibility issues in the coming years than anything else.
For sites where I’m making a low-value, one-off purchase and never coming back, I’ll use a pseudonym alongside a prepaid gift card, or failing that, a privacy.com virtual card. Not quite a sustainable strategy with eBay or Amazon, especially if the package needs a signature, so I’ll just use a privacy.com virtual card and supply a P.O. Box address
Mostly accepted that it is the way it is for these things. If the privacy-friendly option is giving up a few conveniences, I’ll take it. But if it’s keeping me from reaching certain goals, I’ll tolerate a compromise. I don’t think I’m being targeted either, so it’s all tolerable in my personal threat model.