Privacy

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Has anyone successfully used a prepaid phone and number for app registration? (lemmy.world)

submitted 2 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

44 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I’m looking into getting a flip phone with a separate number so that I can sign up for a few apps that without associating them with ~~the complete identity profile in the data marketplace that is linked to~~ my actual phone number.

To be clear, the apps will still be downloaded and utilized on my primary smartphone. But the phone number through which I receive verification codes during registration will be a separate device.

Has any one done this? Tips for selecting a cheapo phone and prepaid service?

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

OK, let's do this step by step. We're going to use a prepaid SIM like op mentions:

Buy SIM prepaid at Walmart with cash
Activate that SIM in a phone at a static location, not your home
This is sold to broker 1
Buy SIM from normal provider using your CC
This data is sold to broker 2
Broker 2 asks broker 1 for into on person
Broker 1 has no discrete match due to lack of payment data

[–] [email protected] 1 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Broker 1 is stuck with cheaper data on somebody they know exists. The phone is in a static location switched on and proving location data.
Periodically broker 1 asks other brokers for information on people who also are in the same place at the same time.
Broker 2 says they have a match and sells it to broker 1.
Broker 1 & 2 are able to resell much more valuable data on some privacy freak.

Data isn’t some silo locked up. They have data sharing agreements allowing them to look at each others data and pay for transfers of useful information. Their profit comes from making initial collection agreements with the phone companies/banks/stores giving them sole access to raw data.

At the end of the day OP wants to do all of this for his bank’s 2fa codes. The bank that knows who he is and where he lives due to know your customer laws.

Just disable internet banking, paper statements, stops all data from being made in first place.

Cash only phones only work from a privacy perspective if they are your single phone. As a secondary phone they’re just another number on your data broker profile.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 hours ago

"Not your home".

And nope again, OP did not mention banks.