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Comment by frongpik | Hacker News Reader

I can tell you why. It's because you gave FB your personal phone number, while any number would work, e.g. a prepaid sim card (a one time 15 bucks expense).

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I signed up before Facebook ever required phone numbers.

I never gave Facebook my phone number.

I never had a Facebook app on any Android device, ever.

When I use Facebook, it's in a sandboxed browser that I never log into any other site with.

Facebook, for a time, started autofilling a prompt with my phone number, asking me to complete my account setup.

When Facebook has an app and all the people you know send their contacts to it, they don't need you to give them your phone number for them to have it.

In my case it's even worse - someone else signed up with my email address ...

Ebay recently got my number too, not sure how. PayPal perhaps.

I did some research and it seemed as though the companies would auto-renew and make it incredibly tough to close the accounts. I wouldn’t be surprised if some went so far as to send people to collections for “fees”.

There’s no auto renewal, contract, or collections for a prepaid sim. In most states you don’t even show ID to get one. Just give whatever name you’d like on the caller ID and pay the first month.

Can you show me an example of one that can be purchased online? I didn't notice any on Amazon when I looked. (for curiosity's sake)

I’m not sure about online, but I know you can walk into a T-mobile store with $15 cash and walk out with a SIM card.

Or a Walmart. Years ago, before Google Voice, I got one because I needed a local area code number for my apartment's buzzer. Mainly to see that if I could do it, I did things as anonymously as possible: bought a Tracphone at Walmart with cash. Turns out you needed an existing phone number to activate it, so I used the payphone that was outside a nearby gas station.

Used that method as my primary cell phone contract for many years.

I haven't looked into it recently, but it must be easy. Many games have SMS verification for accounts, and it seems that every person that streams those games has like 10 accounts.

Or better yet, have someone else walk into the brick&mortar store to buy it for you

With the amount of facial recognition going on at large stores....probably a good bet. I'm not so concerned with the privacy as the ability to cancel without repeated 30 minute phonecalls to customer service.

Please be aware that this is not true for all countries. I can, for example, not get a SIM without submitting ID and proof of residence (if not already covered by ID).

Interesting, didn't know this can differ based on the state. Which ones do/don't let you do this?

You don't need to give your ID or sign up for auto renewal.

but more likely, someone else uploaded their own entire contact book which included your number and likely email at one point

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