this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2023
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Privacy
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Yeah, probably, but I've noticed lots of sites use security as an excuse to get your phone number. For my work account Google forced me to enable 2FA for security reasons, but wouldn't allow the authenticator, only my phone number, until they had it. Then I was allowed to switch to the authenticator. That was not a setting my employer could change, either, they tried for half an hour.
Phone numbers are used to congregate the your data that's collected on different sites to one profile. I'm pretty sure that is the main reason Google and others are pushing you so hard to give it up.
Nonsense. You don't even have to use Google's authenticator when setting up MFA. You can just scan the QR it gives you using any authenticator app. You can use Microsoft Authenticator, Duo Mobile, Lastpass, WatchGaurd, etc, etc
I don't think you understand. They don't force you to use Google Authenticator. They don't let you use any authenticator app until you give them your phone number.
This tactic was used in the past by many other sites, off the top of my head LinkedIn, Facebook, Amazon. It's a scheme to get your number because then it can be used to cross-identify you everywhere.
Example: if I were to verify my phone number with Twitch, which is an Amazon company, they would be able to correlate everything I ever bought on Amazon with my gaming habits.