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Ask HN: Why are more and more websites asking for phone numbers?

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Re: Ask HN: Why are more and more websites asking for phone numbers?

#11
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"every individual has only one phone number, which hardly ever changes" [Citation-needed] As someone who had been holding three different phone numbers at the same time, and who used to be accessible at about 10 different cellphone numbers, I feel you are mistaking your beliefs for facts.

Outliers don't matter for marketing.

Fair point.

Re: Ask HN: Why are more and more websites asking for phone numbers?

#12
post #10
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Twitter demanding a phone number to unlock a 5 min old account after saying it was optional and then pretending I broke their rules just to get my phone number. As for the uptick in services requiring phone numbers? All the messaging apps, all the freelance websites, facebook, google, classified ad sites/apps. And these are just examples of things I tried using.

I use/have used literally all of the things on that list, and none have required a phone number for normal use. I've had Facebook, Google, and Twitter all require phone numbers when I've naively tried to set up bots against their services, though, which is what I'm guessing you're having trouble with here.

>works for me.

You guessed wrong. If I was trying to set up bots, why would I start blabbing about it on HN? Oh right, you assumed I'm like you.

Re: Ask HN: Why are more and more websites asking for phone numbers?

#14
post #9
post #3

> would be considered unacceptable... A more honest way of saying this would be that it wouldn't have worked -- requiring a phone number during onboarding would drastically lower your conversion rates. So what's changed? Is this a generational (grumble grumble millenial grumble grumble) thing? Also, I'd love to know what sparked your asking this question. I don't see a particular uptick in services requiring a phone…

Twitter demanding a phone number to unlock a 5 min old account after saying it was optional and then pretending I broke their rules just to get my phone number. As for the uptick in services requiring phone numbers? All the messaging apps, all the freelance websites, facebook, google, classified ad sites/apps. And these are just examples of things I tried using.

I had the exact same thing happen to me, fuck that.

Re: Ask HN: Why are more and more websites asking for phone numbers?

#15
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use/have used literally all of the things on that list, and none have required a phone number for normal use. I've had Facebook, Google, and Twitter all require phone numbers when I've naively tried to set up bots against their services, though, which is what I'm guessing you're having trouble with here.

>works for me. You guessed wrong. If I was trying to set up bots, why would I start blabbing about it on HN? Oh right, you assumed I'm like you.

Calm down, personal insults aren't necessary. I have to admit I've had the same experience, don't know my phone number and don't carry it with me for the majority of the time and I've needed it twice so far. Once for a Twitter bot and once for a Telegram bot.

Never before have I been asked for a phone number that hasn't been optional from any other service (of which I have quite a few, LastPass counts about 2,200 of them).

(Of course, sometimes I do still take the optional road, two factor authentication is exceptionally nice).

Re: Ask HN: Why are more and more websites asking for phone numbers?

#18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>works for me. You guessed wrong. If I was trying to set up bots, why would I start blabbing about it on HN? Oh right, you assumed I'm like you.

Calm down, personal insults aren't necessary. I have to admit I've had the same experience, don't know my phone number and don't carry it with me for the majority of the time and I've needed it twice so far. Once for a Twitter bot and once for a Telegram bot. Never before have I been asked for a phone number that hasn't been optional from any other service (of which I have quite a few, LastPass counts about 2,200 of…

Many services support otp authentication and don't require a phone number for 2fa anymore.

facebook, google, dropbox, evernote, github, gitlab, amazon, ...

Re: Ask HN: Why are more and more websites asking for phone numbers?

#19
post #9
post #3

> would be considered unacceptable... A more honest way of saying this would be that it wouldn't have worked -- requiring a phone number during onboarding would drastically lower your conversion rates. So what's changed? Is this a generational (grumble grumble millenial grumble grumble) thing? Also, I'd love to know what sparked your asking this question. I don't see a particular uptick in services requiring a phone…

Twitter demanding a phone number to unlock a 5 min old account after saying it was optional and then pretending I broke their rules just to get my phone number. As for the uptick in services requiring phone numbers? All the messaging apps, all the freelance websites, facebook, google, classified ad sites/apps. And these are just examples of things I tried using.

I suspected it was a tactic, too. I've simply complied, giving the number and then removing it (as I did for another account). Not an issue since these accounts were explicitly related, so I didn't care if Twitter could connect them through my number. Anyway, the “cheating” behaviour (pretending it's optional and then requiring it to unlock an account allegedly violating their rule) upset me too.
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