this post was submitted on 06 Feb 2024
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To make sure you are real.
Sure, that’s the reason. I believe that.
There are better ways to confirm someone is a human. If they would not just want to gather personal user data instead, which apparently is the case.
Like which? Overall requesting a phone number has quickly become the most reliable and simplest way to ensure someone is human. Not foolproof, but foolproof enough. Not ultra-convenient, but convenient enough. It just works, there's a reason so many do it that way. 🤷
I don't use any service that requires a phone number, which even does that anymore? I guess Facebook, Instagram, Twitter? That's surely just to track you. It is very easy to spoof a mobile number, the regular old confirm security code per email works just as well. Or just do email register + 2fa with an authenticator app or passkey.
The latter doesn't try to establish you're an actual person though. This is something often also done by pro video games, to make bans hit more because they bam the phone number.
And spoofing won't work as you need to be able to receive texts on that number.
That's kinda the point, in virtually all countries phone number is way more directly tied to your IRL identity as a person than an email address would be. Hence its a pretty reasonable compromise to filter out bot operators as to them, using so many phone numbers is doable but a hassle, and they just move on.