Facebook Is Giving Advertisers Access To Your Shadow Contact Information

Of course, but you don't get served ads.

> A spokesman also told us that users can opt out of this ad-based repurposing of their security digits by not using phone number based 2FA.

That's one way to encourage people to use 2FA App, I guess.

I believe that for us to wait for our governments to have to make regulations around our privacy and data is overly optimistic. Since companies like Google and FB exist on a global market the only way to truly bring about any real changes is to take away the very thing that they're looking for, and that's our use of said services. As someone that works daily with the general public trying to educate them on the safety and use of their technology, I often ask what their feelings are on the subject of companies like FB and Google selling their data to anyone willing to pay for it. The response I get the vast majority of the time is that they aren't doing anything illegal so why would they care? My response to that is "Would you let strangers walk into your house and dig through your personal items?". Every time i get the same response. "Of course not!" Well in my mind this is no different. I've read a lot of suggestions on what we feel government should do to regulate these things but we need face facts here. Society is addicted to many of these services. The simple solution would be to just STOP USING THEIR SERVICES. There are alternatives to both of those services. We now know that the data being collected and sold has the potential of revealing information that could be used maliciously against us, and we complain about what's going on. But then many people turn right around and continue to use the free service. I truly feel that this isn't totally an issue with government regulation as much as it an issue with the vast majority of its users being completely addicted to it. If we want to truly make any kind of impact we need to take personal responsibility for these things. And not only that, but as people that are knowledgeable on these topics we need to educate those non-technical people around us just what it is they're giving up when they click Accept on their EULA's and privacy agreements. As much as I dislike what FB and Google are doing at the end of the day they are counting on the fact that the general public won't spend even 30 seconds reading these agreements. If users care so little about the fact that they're making a legally binding agreement why would FB and Google? Most are so concerned with getting access to whatever service they're attempting to gain access to that they just click the accept button with little or no thought about what it is they're agreeing to. Government can't be expected to do our thinking for us.

I'm not sure I understand what's going on here and the article doesn't really explain. What does it mean that they are "using your 2FA phone number"? It doesn't seem like they are texting ads to people. Are they just using the area code to determine where you live?

I really liked it when people downvoted me when I wrote that Google pushing for 2FA phone numbers is doing it to get your phone number. (they don't use it for ads but lately I don't trust them, also 6mo ago I removed my FB)

In the end I gave Goog even 2 of my numbers because I am scared as hell to lose access to my account. I got my Gmail account when it was in 'innvite only' so it is my main account for long time. Have to move out of it soon.