[clint]

You write as if someone held a gun to your head and force you to sign up for Plaid. Plaid doesn't require anyone to use it.

Your bank is the entity you're ultimately upset with, don't malign a company that generated a _very good solution_ to a _huge problem_ and THEN worked with their industry peers to cajole these huge banks to let you have access to your data how you want to use it. Before Yodlee and Plaid came around there was a snowballs chance in hell I could ever hope to get at my banking transactions in an API and now I can, and in many cases I never have to give supply my banking credentials to anyone but my bank.

[soulofmischief]

> You write as if someone held a gun to your head and force you to sign up for Plaid. Plaid doesn't require anyone to use it.

There is not a physical gun pointed at my head, but an increasing amount of digital online interactions are solely gated by Plaid. I've run into plenty cases where I simply had no choice, for example dealing with landlords.

And you already know how long it takes for financial systems to evolve once in place, as evidenced by your own frustration for them not embracing APIs and digital sovereignty. So once a solution like Plaid is in place, we're normalizing this kind of man-in-the-middle security nightmare for generations to come. Even if Plaid's founders did not have malicious intent, the company will eventually change hands to someone less ethical, and the door is open for other companies to seek the same kind of relationships with end users. If not malicious, Plaid is brazenly reckless and short-sighted.

And regardless... I as a consumer do not want to hand over my passwords to a man in the middle, I'm already angry enough at the security and password restrictions I encounter now with financial institutions. If I am in a position where I cannot rent a home or make an important purchase without interacting with a company like Plaid, where is my digital sovereignty?

[soco]

I think this anger with Plaid is unwarranted. Without them, or before them, you had zero API access because the banks (including yours) don't give a rat's ass on your fancy access needs. Now Plaid managed to gather together some kind of access. Are they to blame because they managed that? Do you still have any alternative with the bank? I think no, and no. You can get back to the "standard" situation of no API, no guns involved, or you can use them as middlemen. Or you can create your own middleman service if you like and everybody will appreciate your Plaid alternative (except Plaid, I suppose).