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losing telephone access (lemmy.zip)

submitted 1 hour ago by shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

6 comments fedilink hide all child comments

On April 30th, the FCC voted that they wanted to demand KYC in order to use a phone number inside the United States. This may not end up happening, but better safe than sorry, and I'm trying to figure out ways around this problem in case they are needed.

The stated goal is to prevent spam and robo calls, and if a provider allows a robo call, it's something like a $2,500 fine per call, which means that services like Google Voice and text now and every cell phone and phone provider is going to require government ID. The provider has to keep your ID on record the entire time you have the service and then if you cancel the service they are required to keep your ID for four years after the date of cancellation. This will be a boone for hackers.

What i need help with:

Secondary Internet connection: It doesn't happen often, but I use my phone as a secondary internet connection if, for example, my home ISP is ever out. I am not sure yet if data only sims will be a problem since they can't make or receive telephone calls and make and receive text messages. So this may or may not be an issue. I guess if nothing else I could go to the local McDonald's or something like that and use their Wi-Fi if my ISP was ever out in order to contact the customer service of my ISP online to let them know about it.
Access to banking: Banks are so stupid in general, but every time I log in to my online account, it has to send me a phone call or a text message in order to verify that I am who I say I am, regardless of the fact that we all know that the telephone system is complete garbage for this use case, but they're banks, so what else can you expect, right?
Access to ride sharing services: I lost access to Lyft several years ago, because they no longer allowed you to book rides from their website, and I refused to install the app, and even if I wanted to install the app, it requires Google spy services, which I will not install on my device. That left me with only the option of Uber, which is fine, except that they also require a phone number, and if you don't have one, then you can't receive your text message verification codes again, and stuff like that to log in.

Without a telephone number, you can't call a taxi either. At least not that I'm aware of, because the old way of doing taxis before Uber came out was through the telephone system, and I'm not aware if taxis have evolved since then.

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[–] brickfrog@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 21 minutes ago

Are you able to get phone service with your primary internet service wherever you're at? That ISP already has your billing info so it's not like you'd be giving out any more info.

If you can do that then you can basically live like every other person without a cell phone. I know older people that don't have cell phones so they just use landlines/ISP phone service for phone calls. For banks they literally just go to the local brick and mortar bank, there's no requirement banking has to happen online or on a phone. And for calling the local cab companies, calling those with the house phone is easy enough.

But yeah you're basically talking about disconnecting from having an online presence since you don't want to use Uber/Lyft apps, don't want to use bank apps, and won't have a mobile phone or smartphone with phone service.

[–] eager_eagle@lemmy.world 1 points 42 minutes ago* (last edited 36 minutes ago)

Some taxi companies use third-party Uber-like apps to connect to riders, the bigger ones might have their own apps, but my guess is that those also ask for a phone number.

The best way might just be hailing one off the street.

[–] solrize@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Pretty ridiculous and anyway there will be ways around it. But, even if you get an anonymous phone number, once you connect it to something like online banking, it won't be anonymous any more.

[–] shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip 2 points 58 minutes ago (2 children)

My primary thing is trying to figure out how to live without a phone number at all. I think that it's absolutely ridiculous that I would have to give an ID to have phone service and then them have to keep my ID for four years after disconnection. As I said in the post, that's just a honeypot for hackers.

[–] eager_eagle@lemmy.world 1 points 39 minutes ago

yeah, phone numbers have been used primarily to fight spam and fake accounts, so my guess is that this practice will become even more common with stricter policies around phone number registration. I hate it.

This basically turns phone numbers into a deregulated government ID number. You'd think they had learned something with SSNs by now.

[–] Ebby@lemmy.ssba.com 0 points 33 minutes ago

My primary thing is trying to figure out how to live without a phone number at all.

~ Pre-internet nostalgia chuckles ~ You're going to give up convenience, but best of luck to you.. I have family who still operate "in-person." They are exhausting.