Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Google's most ridiculous trick to force users into adding phone number

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

241–250 of 250 posts

Re: Google's most ridiculous trick to force users into adding phone number

#241

Post by jqpabc123 »

pb7 wrote: post #233
jqpabc123 wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most of the user base are "sheeple" who subscribe to whichever corporate marketing program has the largest budget. Google itself is a major player in this game. "You laugh because I'm different. I laugh because you're *normal." *normal - Average, ordinary, unremarkable, the same

Using "sheeple" unironically says more about you than it does about them. There's nothing remarkable about being too socially stunted to be able to acknowledge groups beyond your own.

I fully acknowledged groups beyond my own --- and the fact that corporations acknowledge and abuse these groups vulnerability to social pressure.

After all, this is what advertising (i.e. Google) is all about --- coercing people to act a certain way and buy certain things in order to fit into a particular social stereotype.

Which is worse --- being socially stunted or socially vulnerable?

Re: Google's most ridiculous trick to force users into adding phone number

#242

Post by rstuart4133 »

vort3 wrote: post #188
accuratefud wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Man, this thread is such a shinning example of why "trust, but verify" is a phrase. There is ABSOLUTELY an option to enable 2FA on a Google account now that does not require giving them a phone number. There's a clear "Advanced Options" link that lets you choose a security key, which is what folks should be using anyway.

True, I just didn't write that because physical security key is not an option where I live. Other than security key, it's only phone number or adding account to the phone. I'm sorry I didn't mention that in my post, I wasn't trying to lie, I just can't obtain physical key and I don't think I have to have physical key to read my emails.

Don't feel bad. I recently went through the process of enabling app passwords and what not for google accounts. I did that because I lost control of one account and decided to implement every recovery option possible on the others - like TOPT's and backup codes. If there is a way to do it without purchasing stuff like tokens or entering phone numbers, I could not see it.

If there is a way of doing it, I suspect it's deliberately well hidden. I also suspect what they enforce varies by country.

Re: Google's most ridiculous trick to force users into adding phone number

#243

Post by mxuribe »

fsflover wrote: post #239
mxuribe wrote: post #16

So, at what point will there be a legitimate third option other than Google android phones (and associated ecosystem) and Apple iphones (and associatyed ecosystem)??? And, no, i don't mean rooting a phone, etc. to install Lineage or other alternative operating systems on it. I mean, i want to go out, buy a phone that is decent enough for the basics of what i need to do and is de-googled...not too crazy expensive like…

Here you go: https://puri.sm/products/librem-5 and https://pine64.org/pinephone .

Thanks! I am aware of both, but thought that they were still more for developers, and not ready for prime-time as daily drivers.

Re: Google's most ridiculous trick to force users into adding phone number

#244

Post by goatsi »

kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #232
tatersolid wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At no point during setup does Microsoft Authenticator app collect your mobile number. That is in fact the whole point of the app: SMS is insecure for 2FA so collecting a mobile number makes no sense. Most of our people including myself choose to enroll a personal phone rather than carry two devices, and somehow none of these hundreds of people ever provided their mobile numbers to Microsoft. I think you are mis-remem…

Prior to Android 11 no permission was required to retrieve a phone number via the API.

Do you have evidence from the apk that phone numbers were being retrieved?

Re: Google's most ridiculous trick to force users into adding phone number

#245

Post by fsflover »

mxuribe wrote: post #243
fsflover wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here you go: https://puri.sm/products/librem-5 and https://pine64.org/pinephone .

Thanks! I am aware of both, but thought that they were still more for developers, and not ready for prime-time as daily drivers.

It depends on what "daily driver" means for you. Some people do use them as daily drivers, but many things don't work well yet.

Re: Google's most ridiculous trick to force users into adding phone number

#246

Post by mxuribe »

fsflover wrote: post #245
mxuribe wrote: post #243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks! I am aware of both, but thought that they were still more for developers, and not ready for prime-time as daily drivers.

It depends on what "daily driver" means for you. Some people do use them as daily drivers, but many things don't work well yet.

Fair point. I define daily driver as having a device that does not crash for light duty operation, allows for sending/receiving of phone calls, text/sms mesaaging, using a small number of heavy apps like Element (for matrix), email client, light web browsing, light use of maps, taking photos, listening to (mostly offline but a tiny bit of online) music.

Re: Google's most ridiculous trick to force users into adding phone number

#247

Post by fsflover »

mxuribe wrote: post #246
fsflover wrote: post #245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It depends on what "daily driver" means for you. Some people do use them as daily drivers, but many things don't work well yet.

Fair point. I define daily driver as having a device that does not crash for light duty operation, allows for sending/receiving of phone calls, text/sms mesaaging, using a small number of heavy apps like Element (for matrix), email client, light web browsing, light use of maps, taking photos, listening to (mostly offline but a tiny bit of online) music.

http://janvlug.org/blog/one-week-librem-5-field-trial-day-1/

Re: Google's most ridiculous trick to force users into adding phone number

#248

Post by 0daystock »

MerelyMortal wrote: post #183
0daystock wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think "trivial" is generous. For context, the current market rates for a SIM swap ranges from several thousand USD (T-Mobile) to well over fifty thousand USD (Verizon). It is not really something most people should lose sleep over, in my opinion.

That seems absurdly high for a SIM Swap. Source?

Source: Darknet Diaries, EP 112: Dirty Coms

Re: Google's most ridiculous trick to force users into adding phone number

#249

Post by vort3 »

superkuh wrote: post #14
vort3 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a small free VPS and free domain name (whatever.duckdns.org). Do you think I can make a mail server that works, that could send emails that won't end up in spam folder of other people, and that I could use to create accounts? I have thoughts of running my own mail server, but a lot of sites just won't let you create an account if you don't provide «trusted» email, and by «trusted» most of the time they mean gm…

Well, the best time to start is now... but without a domain name I don't think you'll have much luck. If you want to learn how to set up and run a mail server I cannot recommend https://workaround.org/ispmail enough. These tutorials cover all the background and high-level concepts for why you're doing things in addition to the details needed to implement a proper mailserver.

Thanks for the link, latest version has some mistakes but in general it's good.

I got myself a domain and trying to set up my mail server, but my VPS hosting is blocking outbound port 25. So I can receive emails, but can't send anything. ispmail guide has no workarounds for that…

Re: Google's most ridiculous trick to force users into adding phone number

#250

Post by vort3 »

MilaM wrote: post #207
vort3 wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I might try this, thanks. Yes, I do have session in my browser and I would use it as a second factor to manually approve every login to my account from my browser if I had option to do that, but Google doesn't allow that. You can only confirm logins from android or apple device.

It worked for me and I did not have to give Google my phone number to "unlock" the other 2FA options and subsequently app passwords. I used the Yubikey, but I think it should work if you only use TOTP.

I added reserve email and in 2FA setup dialog there's still no authenticator option, just Yubikey, notification on Adnroid, or SMS by phone number.
Post reply on HN