How to keep ib's client long-running? about thetagang HOT 4 CLOSED

Unfortunately IBKR has made it very difficult to keep the client open, or to automate the login process. I believe the main reason they do this is that they don't want people exfiltrating the data, because the data is considered "intellectual property", i.e., an opportunity for them to collect your money.

This isn't unique to IBKR, pretty much all the brokers, exchanges, data brokers, and other 3rd party API tools use the same annoying tricks to prevent people from accessing and using the data.

This is likely the main reason they made their shitty second-factor auth so annoying, and now force everyone to use it.

It doesn't have to be this way, but it is because everyone is trying to squeeze everyone else for a few extra pennies. Perhaps one day someone with deep pockets will come along, buy the data wholesale (or buy an exchange perhaps), and liberate the data so we can have markets that aren't unfree and rigged in favour of the incumbents. More likely, however, is that we'll see bigger regulatory moats, more anti-competitive behaviour, and stricter and more hostile actions from the brokers.

So enjoy it while you still can, it will only continue to enshittify.

from thetagang.