[qweqwerwerwerwr]

there isn't one. but that's irrelevant because the services that require your phone number don't do it for the sake of security or to combat bots, they do it to gather data. when you give a megacorp your phone number, they get your real name, your relationships, and a myriad data points to sell.

this is the reason why all megacorp mobile apps and every other free flashlight/calculator/alarm app require access to your contact list.

[nemothekid]

>but that's irrelevant because the services that require your phone number don't do it for the sake of security or to combat bots

Discord allows you to enable phone number verification at a per-admin level basis; and it is done to reduce spam and bots. You can't just pretend the problem doesn't exist.

[55555]

Twitter is at least partly asking for phone number in order to fight spam. I am aware a big motivator is also to link you to an advertising profile.

[qweqwerwerwerwr]

twitter is a great example of phone number verification doing fuck all against bots

[toofy]

yes, that’s all great, but it goes out of its way to ignore the very _very_ real problem of malicious users and bots.

i’m a privacy junkie, but we can’t just handwave those away and pretend they don’t exist.