Path: ...!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail From: VanguardLH Newsgroups: comp.mobile.android Subject: Re: Codes sent by text message Date: Sat, 9 Mar 2024 11:56:38 -0600 Organization: Usenet Elder Lines: 25 Sender: V@nguard.LH Message-ID: References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: individual.net 51VH8xdNCw4F4XHwZckWgwUYz7K3KCSGcxG2BAwj4AAC/pjIhP Keywords: VanguardLH,VLH Cancel-Lock: sha1:ShU6wvg0/SbpFc4LcT/cGftvquA= sha256:QESyLAcZxoTzZSjmuEjr4Qn+skpVVMScitpUMPdTuBY= User-Agent: 40tude_Dialog/2.0.15.41 Bytes: 2018 The Real Bev wrote: > Some annoying websites insist on authentication by requiring me to enter > the number they send by text message. For some reason my google voice > number is never identified as a real phone number and I have to use my > old phone with the $10/year SIM to receive their code. > > WTF? Why is the google voice number not a REAL phone number? I use GV, too. It is considered, because it is, a VOIP service rather than a telco or cellular carrier. The site wants to track to a device, not to a VOIP service. The IMEI number of your phone is gold to trackers. "How the Pentagon Learned to Use Targeted Ads to Find Its Targets—and Vladimir Putin" https://www.wired.com/story/how-pentagon-learned-targeted-ads-to-find-targets-and-vladimir-putin/ Physical phones are preferred for tracking. They want to track by device, not by service. Even landlines are preferred over services. GV operates much like a PBX or forwarding service using simultaneous ring to call your phone(s). Sites won't know what are your devices to track when you give them GV, OOMA, or other PBX/forwarding services. Some sites won't let you use e-mail aliasing or forwarding services, either. They want something more direct.