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

Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure

tech.vijayp.ca

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

291–299 of 299 posts

Re: Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure

#291

Post by 5555624 »

x1798DE wrote: post #4

I don't think it's possible to make a Google account without a phone number anymore. It's really unfortunate, especially because I deliberately don't set up fallback contacts for my "alternate" gmail accounts, and Google keeps locking them as suspicious when I log in from a second location, and I need to "verify" with a phone number any time that happens (at which point I abandon the account). I understand that they…

I created one on Monday, without a phone number. I did provide a (@outlook.com) recovery email. I did not try to create a Google Voice number for it though and I think that does require a phone number.

Re: Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure

#292

Post by js2 »

mobilefriendly wrote: post #226
js2 wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You should be aware that Google has minimum age requirements. I was not aware of this and my son disclosed his age to Google as part of setting up another Google service, which then locked out his account. https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/1350409?hl=en I switched to Fastmail after that.

Google's subject to U.S. law, they can't knowingly maintain a child's personal data without parental consent (which is a manual process). There are also further restrictions on the types of marketing they can do to children. It is fine if the product, like gmail, doesn't target children and they don't collect age info, but once they do know age they've got to either get consent (costly) or shut down the account.

That's okay with me and I wasn't criticizing Google, just stating what happened. My recollection was that I was able to get the account re-activated by providing a CC #, but once I was aware it was in violation of the ToS, I switched to a different provider.

Re: Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure

#293

Post by darkhorn »

nommm-nommm wrote: post #264
darkhorn wrote: post #133

In Turkey, if you apply for a new SIM card (let's say you have micro and you want nano) then you cannot access your bank account (for example Garanti Bank, probably other big banks too). Doesn't matter whether you try to access the bank via your PC or phone or via your home telephone, a massage appears saying that your SIM card has been changes and thus you need to re-validate yourself. So, this means that the banks…

Off topic, but I am really curious. What would be a reason for your father to change his name in Turkey? Is men changing their name common in Turkey?

For example when you apply for Turkish citizenship your father's name is let's say Philipos, and you have a father with that name until he also becomes a Turkish citizen with a new name let's say Filip. Now you have to update your ID.

I've heared that some police or military people change their name because they killed many terrorists.

But the most comman provlem is with birth dates. Some of my friends had such birth dates in their IDs; 0.0.1984 or 5.12.1885 (should be 1985). Why? Actually they have birth certificate in Bulgaria, even with hours. But when they become citizen of Turkey an idiot public service officer wrote wrongly to a paper, now you need to prove that you were born in that date with diplomatically certified and translated birth certificate that you have optained from your home country wich is possible but long and boring process. Instead they auto corect to middle of the year; 1.7.1984.

Especially some eastern places before 90s didn't wrote their birth dates because you know, is a "boring paper work" for them.

Or a parent says that their douther's name is Gizem but the public servant writes İzem.

This is why this country is called a developing country. They can't write something propery.

Re: Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure

#294

Post by aianus »

RubyPinch wrote: post #284
aianus wrote: post #274

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does not. I had TOTP 2FA only on my last work account and it was company policy not to add phone numbers for security reasons.

https://i.imgur.com/SCxAk0V.png is what I get if I try to add two fac to my account, doesn't seem to be any way around it

This is what I see on my personal GApps account: http://i.imgur.com/YHAOFlZ.png

TOTP 2FA with no recovery options.

Maybe they changed their policies since 2014 :/

Re: Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure

#295

Post by darkhorn »

ollie87 wrote: post #259
darkhorn wrote: post #133

In Turkey, if you apply for a new SIM card (let's say you have micro and you want nano) then you cannot access your bank account (for example Garanti Bank, probably other big banks too). Doesn't matter whether you try to access the bank via your PC or phone or via your home telephone, a massage appears saying that your SIM card has been changes and thus you need to re-validate yourself. So, this means that the banks…

Not sure I like the idea of the state being so heavily involved in this process. Then again as a UK citizen they probably have access to my phone any way.

Yes, I don't like it too. Some of these are to prevent terrorism which is a big issue in Turkey and some are because there is no proper philosophy (only daily changing idiotic religious thouts). And as if this is not enough, they cannot process it properly. They leaked Turkey citizen database (yeah, address, full name, citizenship ID), they leaked Turkish mobile phone numbers, they leaked president's private (yeah!) phone conversations.

And worst, laws mostly stay for a life time.

Re: Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure

#296

Post by smeroth »

Accacin wrote: post #252
fghgfdfg wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've had terrible experiences with duckduckgo. I really want to switch, but I've never been able to justify the costs. Every now and then I give it a shot but the results from DuckDuckGo just aren't there. Sometimes they aren't even in the ballpark of what I'm looking for, while Google nails it - what I want specifically is in the top 3, and the whole rest of the first page is related. I don't know if this is because…

Just use !g, it's not perfect but it's fast.

Doesn't that just redirect you to Google's search results (encrypted.google.com), and thus makes the point of using DuckDuckGo in the first place unnecessary?

Re: Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure

#297

Post by iconjack »

Well of course it makes your account less secure. It's another attack vector. As shown in the post, Google doesn't say add a phone number "to make your account more secure", it says "so you don't get locked out". Intuitively, making it more difficult to get locked out of your own account would likely make it easier for someone else "not to be locked out" of your account.

Re: Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure

#298

Post by IsmaOlvey »

antocv wrote: post #78
jasonjayr wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've several children, and can no longer make Google accounts for their Chromebooks. All the phone numbers I have and control can no longer be used to register further accounts. What happens to users that buy a new Android cell phone who's number has been burned by Google?

This is the time to get to know https://mail.yandex.com Seriously, the interface is so much better than todays gmail, its astonishing. There is no spam either, and no ads.

Anyone have any experiences with their support?

Re: Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure

#299

Post by NolF »

lucb1e wrote: post #188
NolF wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They send emails to the alternate account.

Which is very nice as a family member who is the recovery contact for many other family members. Wish this shit could be turned off, I've never heard it help anyone (though I'm sure we can find a stranger on the internet who can testify how useful it was for them).

Use rules and labels to bypass your inbox. I use it in the same manner as you and it has come useful to recover their passwords.
Post reply on HN