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  • Hacker News
  • This feels like one of those "security" changes that also happens to conveniently eliminate a lot of privacy-preserving workflows
    by TimByte
  • I got this a few weeks ago, it was a URL like "sms?:number" which tries to pre-fill text in app. Didn't work for me (Fossify) so I had to copy the number and verifier text from that URL and send it manually. It's for saving money spent on providers like Twilio.
    by opengrass
  • 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@gmail.com and see if it works without a QR code.

    The headline is clearly a misstatement of what is a specific flow for someone to make many Gmail accounts programmatically.

    by arjie
  • The latest moves from google are the damning smoking gun evidence that anti monopoly court ever needs. "Do this or else". Recaptcha, gmail, google suite, android, chrome, colab and even google play must be viable businesses on their own, separate from google ads machine. Gmail must start competing for users with other email providers. And, yes, recaptcha must pay its infrastructure cost in full only from recaptcha revenue. This is the good way to level playing field, silence all the critics and let air into the room.
    by hamilyon2
  • 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.

    by 8cvor6j844qw_d6
  • > Supposedly, using the QR code on the smartphone triggers an SMS sent from your phone to Google in order to verify your phone number.

    Does anyone have a better source of information than this one forum comment from someone who thinks scanning a QR code is enough to get your phone to send a text message?

    EDIT: It’s just an SMS URI. It doesn’t automatically send anything, just opens a text message for you to send.

    This is just the old phone number verification with a QR code convenience method.

    by Aurornis
  • Any Gmail person can tell me why Gmail is tolerating Gmail phishing emails that use Google's own services (e.g. https://storage.googleapis.com/savelinge/... ?

    More info here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46665414

    by dvh
  • 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. It's an endless pile of data to hold onto, FOREVER, as well.

    I enjoy hating on Google when appropriate. But when it comes to Gmail, I understand what they're dealing with.

    It's honestly why I believe the idea of free e-mail is just bad, fundamentally. You can't expect a free e-mail service to be good or have any kind of support. The fact that it still exists is more out of shear fear of the repercussions than any good will on the owner's part.

    Just get a paid e-mail service. They're better, and offer a lot more peace of mind.

    by Night_Thastus

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