The Two-Factor Follies

David J. Danto

Travel thoughts in my own, personal opinion

eMail: ddanto@IMCCA.org Follow Industry News: @NJDavidD on

The Two-Factor Follies - August 2025

I’ve texted you a code to put in before you read this. Well, no, not really, but that’s the future we seem to be headed towards.

As for me, before I could even leave my house this morning, I’d already jumped through more hoops than a circus poodle. First, I logged in to my healthcare portal to send a message to my doctor. I typed in my (already ridiculous) password, only to be asked if I wanted a code by text or by email to prove I was, in fact, me. Then, when I went to check if my cellphone account was set for the country I was headed to, the exact same ritual: password, then code. Later, I bought tickets for an event – guess what? Password, then code. Three different logins, three different “prove it” moments, all before breakfast.

It made me stop and reflect: what kind of world are we building here? If every site is going to text me a code to prove my identity, then why on earth do I also need to remember a 14-character password with uppercase, lowercase, a number, and a hieroglyphic? Is the password now just ceremonial?

And if this is where we’re headed, how far does it go? Imagine needing two-factor authentication for everything:

The taxi driver asks where you’re going, then hands you a phone: “Enter the code we just texted to confirm you really want Terminal A.”
TSA scans your license, then cheerfully says, “We’ve sent a code to your phone. Enter it here, and we’ll let you get scanned.”
At the coffee counter, you order a latte and your barista says, “We just sent a verification code. Please enter it to authorize cream and sugar.”
The flight attendant pauses with the snack cart: “Pretzels? Great, but first please confirm with the code we texted.”
And when you finally reach the hotel, the clerk hands you a pen for check-in: “We’ve texted you. Enter the code to unlock the ink.”

Here’s the thing: we can’t have it both ways. If websites and vendors want two-factor authentication, fine – but then let’s stop tormenting people with impossible passwords they’ll never remember. If they insist on strong passwords, then those should be enough on their own. Pick one. Don’t make us live through both.

Because what’s really happening is that the entire world now assumes we’ll always have our phones on us. The phone has become our universal ID, our key, our proof of existence. Forget your wallet at home, and you can muddle through. Forget your mobile phone, and you may as well not exist.

Not that long ago, carrying a mobile phone everywhere felt optional – even a little quirky. It was the gadget for early adopters, the toy for techies. Now, it has rapidly snuck-up on us all and shifted from novelty to necessity. The phone isn’t just how we call people anymore (in fact, as I explained in this prior blog, it’s apparently never for calling), instead, it’s how we prove we are people. It unlocks our bank accounts, validates our travel, confirms our identities, and, apparently, at some point will even authorize the cream in our coffee. Two-factor isn’t just about security anymore – it’s about how the phone has become the passport to modern life. Somewhere along the way we stopped carrying phones and now let the phones carry us.

This article was written by David Danto and contains solely his own, personal opinions.

All image and links provided above as reference under prevailing fair use statutes.

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