alt Hacker NewsWhy would anyone who cares enough about security/privacy to run a de-googled phone want to use a tap to pay app?
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Because people have different priorities than you do, and just because you can't imagine something, it doesn't mean it's not real or reasonable.
Without Google doesn't mean the same thing for everyone. I got a Motorola g moto stylus 2025 and have been running an experiment for almost a year now in which I use this device without ever logging into the device with a Google account. Fdroid and obtainium work flawlessly. Aurora Store works for the most part but some apps won't even let me open them without a play store signed in account which is sad.
Well it's going to be a matter of time anyway, I'm already forced to use an app when I'd rather not.
But more than that I want to have a choice.
Some people like to have choices other than "all" and "nothing"
Why can't I use my bank's app, which I presumably already trust, to tap-to-pay? Why should there be a third party involved at all?
People use alternatives for many different reasons (or multiple at the same time):
- They might want privacy from Google. Using Google Pay probably doesn't make much sense.
- Security protection against Google. Google can remotely brick devices with unsandboxed Play Services. After blocking of ICC officials and all the Greenland threats, it's not odd that some European citizens would like to block this Google/US government attack vector.
- They want a clean phone without all kinds of crap like Gemini preinstalled.
- They want to reduce dependence on big tech/Google product in general.
In cases 2-4, using Google Pay with sandboxed Google Play services may be an acceptable compromise for convenience.