It's official. After 3 months of back and forth, a major medical provider has elected to drop me as a patient for not having a Google or Apple device.
It is unclear if this is legal, but it is very clearly discriminatory and unethical.
Any tech journalists or lawyers interested interested in this?
I would like to do anything I can to ensure this never happens to anyone else.
@lrvick what?? Why on earth would you need an Apple or Google device?
@tphinney @Jennifer Exactly this, and they chose to introduce it months after I became a patient, having known from the outset that I do not have or want a Google or Apple device.
I gave up my smartphone 3 years ago, and am a lot happier being disconnected when I am not at my desk. It would seem some don't consider this a valid lifestyle choice.
This is the first time anyone has refused me services for not having a phone.
@SmartmanApps @lrvick @tphinney @Jennifer @mapache
I didn't own a cellphone in mid 2000s and it was pretty hard to get certain thing done already, now is the time when you are forced to have a smartphone, and one of the current ones to boot, capable of running applications from official stores that often impose a slew of restrictions themselves: Google Play services and all that π«
@m0xee @lrvick @tphinney @Jennifer @mapache
"you are forced to have a smartphone"
That alludes to part of my point - websites that refuse to accept a landline as a valid contact number. "You've entered an invalid phone number" - you've heard of landlines, right?? Pretty sure you're using them, except I can't tell for sure because you didn't include YOUR contact information on this website (instead insisting I should "download our app to contact us". Nope, not gonna happen)...