
A 10-Digit Key Code to Your Private Life: Your Cellphone Number - af16090
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/13/business/cellphone-number-social-security-number-10-digit-key-code-to-private-life.html
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techsupporter
I wish ring.to was still a going concern for new users. They (Bandwidth.com)
closed it to new users but existing users can stay on--ostensibly for money
someday in the future--and I'm glad we've not been booted. I have six numbers
parked there and only rarely give out my _real_ mobile number.

I can exchange SMS (and MMS!) with these numbers, make and receive phone
calls, and short codes even work. To me, having alternate numbers to give to
companies for "security" or "identity verification" is like having a password
manager: it means not having all of my eggs in one basket. (Plus, as a kind-
of-bonus, ring.to has no live customer support so--as long as nothing goes
wrong and I need to talk to them--there's nowhere to socially engineer to port
a number away.)

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jstanley
I run [https://smsprivacy.org/](https://smsprivacy.org/) (anonymous SMS phone
numbers). You can't make calls but "a password manager for phone numbers" is a
great way to describe it.

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msh
I like your idea but why would I trust your service above my carrier?

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jstanley
Because I don't know anything about your identity. You don't even need to give
an email address, and you can access it over TOR.

I wouldn't be able to find out your identity if I tried.

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aclimatt
This looks like a piece of submarine advertising for Sideline. A seemingly
interesting service, but pretty blatant sales pitch.

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gnicholas
I had the same feeling, especially with no mention of Google Voice, which has
offered a similar ability for nearly a decade (within Google and as Grand
Central prior to that). I'm sure there are other alternatives also, but
there's no excuse for not mentioning Google's longstanding service.

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reitanqild
Remember one HUGE disadvantage of Google Voice: for many of us it was never
available.

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maxerickson
Gotta love the optimist that thinks email addresses are less likely to be
associated with their data profile.

Nice to see a little progress on the language front: _The total losses in the
United States from stolen identities used in crimes like credit card and loan
fraud_

Be sure to read the applicable 8000 word privacy policy before thinking
Sideline is giving you any privacy. They share the number pair with the cell
phone operator in order to make the service work, so be sure to read their
privacy policy too. Oh, and make sure to understand them well and keep up with
any changes.

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a_imho
This could have been written 10 years ago (aside from the pitch), the giveaway
is it not mentions Web 2.0.

People by large still don't care.

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walterbell
There are VOIP providers which offer free inbound numbers with voicemail and
per-minute calling, no need for a monthly fee.

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keehun
Could you give a few names? I would love to check them out.

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ktta
Well for one, google voice[0] is free in US (for calls within US, outside US,
1c per min ). You can receive/send messages and calls from the hangouts app,
chrome extension, and the website. beware, though, you can't totally replace
your phone since some services recognize it as a VoIP number and refuse to
take it as a legitimate 2FA.

You do need an existing phone to get a number, which is probably better than
giving your CC info to some VoIP service.

And by some, I mean (for me atleast) wells fargo, and azure.

[0]:[https://www.google.com/voice](https://www.google.com/voice)

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techsupporter
> some services recognize it as a VoIP number and refuse to take it as a
> legitimate 2FA

This bothers the crap out of me because a) when I'm signing up as a new
customer, the company with whom I am establishing a relationship should be
able to verify that I am me and then believe whatever phone number I give them
and b) my "VoIP service" is more secure and less well-known than my mobile
phone provider, thus reducing the attack surface for those numbers.

~~~
closeparen
Possibly an anti-spam measure. If it needs to be moderately difficult to
create thousands of accounts, requiring a phone number and cutting off well
known bulk suppliers of phone numbers is likely an effective strategy.

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owly
How many people are concerned about the data tied to their phone number but
still use facebook?

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oxplot
FYI: you can search for someone on Facebook (and perhaps elsewhere) by their
cell phone.

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gcb0
only if you are dumb (or blind by the san-francisco alternate reality) enough.

sadly, the alternative is to have to, over and over again, skip the page your
service providers ask for your phone after every login. Even _after_ you have
something actually secure like OTP generation keys exchanged.

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strgrd
Blockchain

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BobCat
And to think we used to have books full of these secret numbers...

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devereaux
While it may read as an advertisement, I see that as a warning.

Keep separate phone numbers to maintain separate profiles (ex: one for
healthcare, one for banks, one for social medias). Don't give your permanent
phone number. Don't share the number between class of services.

And above all, don't give other people number!!

Fun thing: the other day, I was asked my phone number at my family doctor. I
gave a cellphone number. Then they asked for an "emergy contact" phone number.

My answer: 911. They insisted. So I explained that in case of emergency, I
want them to call 911. Seriously, don't try to call anyone else.

Their answer: but what if we really need to reach you?

My answer: I already gave you my cellphone number. Call me on my cellphone if
you really need to reach me.

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ars
You missunderstood them. The number they are asking for is: if you are
seriously sick and they need to call someone to ask them how to treat you, who
should they call?

They aren't trying to to contact _you_. They are trying to contact someone on
_behalf_ of you.

You should call back, apologize for your snark and give them a useful number
(unless you truly have no family or friends at all).

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yardie
And when the first responder arrives and asks what medications you are on,
unconscious you will say?

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Nexxxeh
Maybe he has no allergies, isn't on any medication, or he wears a medical
alert bracelet thing.

If you don't have someone in your life that's reliable, it's more dangerous to
list someone unreliable.

My mom would be a reasonable emergency contact for me. My pop would be an
awful one for me because he can't remember his own allergies and meds
schedule, let alone mine.

~~~
ars
> If you don't have someone in your life that's reliable, it's more dangerous
> to list someone unreliable.

No. Your pop would know how to get a hold of your mom, and that is all that's
needed.

They are simply a point of contact, to get things started. Someone who knows
something about you, or can find out.

He would know you are on some meds (even if he doesn't know which ones), and
could probably get into your house and search your cabinets to find out.

He would know where you work, and can call your boss to say you are not coming
in. The nurse at the hospital can't do that.

It's better if it's someone reliable, obviously. But if that's not available
anyone who knows you is better than no one.

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Nexxxeh
No, he'd give potentially inaccurate information, which is worse. Sometimes
it's better to not have a contact listed.

I'd be tempted to hook up a Twilio number and henna the number on me, in
addition to a medical alert bracelet.

