Here's a good little insight into how bullshit life is in Aus, in this regard, right now (without having any sort of "Social Security Numbers", it's worth pointing out).

I have an appointment this week with a private doctor. In order to have my private health cover, which I already pay for, cover part of the costs of this very expensive appointment, I have to download three apps, one for the insurer, one for the government health care system (Medicare), and one for "MyGov", which you need to use to even access the Medicare one.

I then have to "link" the Medicare and MyGov accounts, which is an extremely tedious process, and can only be done via computer. For some reason, my name is listed slightly differently on one of the two (middle names...), which may mean that I have to either go in in person to a so-called "service centre", to sort the shit out, or else be on hold on the phone for six hours, in order to get that "fixed"...

Then there's Uni, which now also requires me to download an MFA app to my phone (specific to them, of course. They just had to make their own), in order to access literally anything. But that's not enough - oh no, you also have to have access to any old phone you have previously used, and have the app on there, in order to set up your new one, to then jump through 10 more hoops, and then maybe, just maybe, you might be able to get in to your Uni "account" and actually do shit like enrol, and access email...

And this is the bare minimum shit I have to have on my phone, just to be able to do basic shit, let alone banking or state government services (licensing et al), Covid apps/proof of "vax status", etc.

I'm so fucking sick of this nonsense. It takes up space, and time, and is just so... Unnecessary, frankly. Let alone when one of these "services" decides to arbitrarily update, or stop working...

Grr...