[hdfbdtbcdg]

If you don't need a phone number why collect a phone number?

I might need it later is not a clear reason!

[closeparen]

"Don't need" as in "there are feasible alternatives."

HN doesn't need to know or share your username to post your comment, it is clearly possible to run a message board without usernames, and conversations could be maintained by generating a random pseudonym for each thread.

[_wmhc]

Also, the fine (if we are talking about the Danish one) was not for collecting a phone number. It was for retaining it after the retention limit (in this case 2 years, and they kept them for 5 years) without a good cause. The company argued they were and essential part of the database. People love to make GDPR look bad, but it's often not as bad as it looks from a one line summary.