Handy tip: buy the cheapest pre-charged SIM and use it for this kind of verifications.
That still allows geolocation. But one can lease hosted SIMs. Actual SIMs in server farms. So they're "real" mobile numbers. Just not located where you are.
Twitter forces all new users to enter a valid phone number
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Re: Twitter forces all new users to enter a valid phone number
#32Handy tip: buy the cheapest pre-charged SIM and use it for this kind of verifications.
That still allows geolocation. But one can lease hosted SIMs. Actual SIMs in server farms. So they're "real" mobile numbers. Just not located where you are.
I tried to find a hosted sim provider - zero results. Can you provide a link?
Re: Twitter forces all new users to enter a valid phone number
#33Good, it's a terrible service so I support any terrible practices they choose to support in speeding towards their demise. It's always been just a platform for the self entitled (verified profiles) to spread their gospel to the masses.
Re: Twitter forces all new users to enter a valid phone number
#34This is the new norm... expect all services to require phone numbers due to spam and propaganda.
I assume by "propaganda" what you mean is "deplatforming". Much easier to keep people who emit thoughtcrime off of your platform if they have to keep getting new mobile numbers each time they are banned.
Or, you know… propaganda.
Re: Twitter forces all new users to enter a valid phone number
#35I'm assuming it's to try de-anonymize users and make bots less cost effective.
Nothing propagates faster than hate on Twitter and seeing as it's being actively weaponized to spread propaganda, I'm all for new measures that try slow the spread down - esp. given nothing else has worked thus far.
Re: Twitter forces all new users to enter a valid phone number
#36This is the new norm... expect all services to require phone numbers due to spam and propaganda.
I assume by "propaganda" what you mean is "deplatforming". Much easier to keep people who emit thoughtcrime off of your platform if they have to keep getting new mobile numbers each time they are banned.
You'd have to agree that the people affected most by this change will be bot networks (Russian IRA, etc).
I doubt their goal is to keep "right wingers" they ban off there platform.
Re: Twitter forces all new users to enter a valid phone number
#37It's understandable they might require a phone number to keep down spam.
It's less understandable they'd lie to new users on the reasons their account was blocked. We can't expect even the smallest scraps of honesty from corporations anymore.
Re: Twitter forces all new users to enter a valid phone number
#38They have been doing this for any account registered from a VPN or Tor. However, you can simply appeal the block and tell them you haven't tweeted and not broken any rules. They will send you an automated mail, offering to validate your phone number, or reply to the mail if your problem is not solved. Just reply to the mail. Unfortunately, processing the request takes anywhere between 10 minutes and 2 weeks; usually…
When I worked in banking we would do this with suspect transactions. The feature was called “Strategic Delay”. After awhile, all of our project plans (this was back in the days of Gantt charts) would include two weeks of effort on “Strategic Delay”, even if that feature wasn’t involved.
Re: Twitter forces all new users to enter a valid phone number
#39This is the new norm... expect all services to require phone numbers due to spam and propaganda.
Sad but true. At the hosting company I work for, we had to start requiring phone numbers for cloud servers due to a massive wave of abuse. It's one of the few roadblocks that helps at least somewhat. Previously, we didn't even require a full name. A few idiots always ruin it for everyone.
You seem to ignore that this constrains abusers as much as it does legitimate users. Collective punishment in order to mitigate abuse by a few is the wrong way to go.
Re: Twitter forces all new users to enter a valid phone number
#40This is the new norm... expect all services to require phone numbers due to spam and propaganda.
I have a really split opinion about this. On the one hand I've seen a lot of really hateful stuff lobbed around on sites like Twitter, and I suspect that linking accounts to phone numbers would dramatically reduce that. On the other hand, I'm not sure I want Twitter (et. al.) knowing my phone number.
I like it.
I've grown suspicious with many accounts on Twitter. Maybe I can learn to trust more.