Google account & Social account needed to join
from rocksolid@lemmy.ml to privacy@lemmy.ml on 20 Aug 2026 08:29
https://lemmy.ml/post/51618585

Jaws dropped when I saw this.

ns.com/exam

This website requires both:

Just to take a free test. (On the site, scroll way down, click Apply)

The vast majority of people in my country may have a Google account (because of Android), but many don’t have a social media account. I’m one of them - I do not even have Google at all because I’ve been deGoogling for years.

I have an email address and GitHub for code writing, but no social media. SNS just isn’t for me - I’m definitely not wasting my time on doomscrolling.

Seeing a site that requires Google is heartbreaking, and I’m sure other minorities who care about their privacy will simply give up on participating.

#privacy

threaded - newest

artyom@piefed.social on 20 Aug 2026 08:35 next collapse

Why does that surprise you?

Zephorah@discuss.online on 20 Aug 2026 09:30 next collapse

The site itself is a red flag. Grammar is even off.

PM_ME_YOUR_BOOBIES@lemmy.world on 20 Aug 2026 13:54 next collapse

Besides the scam website that you shouldn’t even be interacting with, that’s why you can simply use burner accounts for Google and social media as needed.

ScoffingLizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 21 Aug 15:29 collapse

If it’s a scam, shouldn’t it be removed from post?

gnufuu@lemmy.ca on 20 Aug 2026 15:14 next collapse

It’s a nice way of telling you to look elsewhere.

PierceTheBubble@lemmy.ml on 20 Aug 2026 18:34 next collapse

Authentication of users seems to be outsourced to ‘identity providers (IdPs)’ (primarily: Google, Facebook, Apple, etc.: “login with…”); that manage access to a service’s resources, which are increasingly distributed throughout various cloud-based services. A service’s chat application might be hosted at provider X, whereas its website at provider Y; so managing access to these resources from a centralized identity pool is convenient. Well, unless you value you privacy, but that’s the end-user’s problem…

At least that is the impression I’ve gotten from my limited research on Amazon Cognito: required for contacting my doctor’s office through their forced chat application (automatic account creation, no longer a phone line for uses outside of emergencies). And yes, to anyone wondering: I am going to look for alternatives, because this should not be acceptable, at least for a doctor’s office of all places.

irotsoma@piefed.blahaj.zone on 21 Aug 02:09 next collapse

Free is rarely free. As the saying goes, “if you’re not the customer, you’re the product”.

yuki_gassen@lemmy.ml on 21 Aug 03:06 collapse

OP account is sus. Opened account 3 months ago to immediately cry wolf on GrapheneOS. Now a scam site (don’t bother opening. Probably safer not to.) Calling honeypot.

white_nrdy@programming.dev on 21 Aug 13:43 collapse

What are you even saying? They’re obviously super reliable, their name is “rocksolid” after all!

/s