As technology continues to evolve, I take privacy very seriously, especially given growing concerns about identity theft and data collection policies.My phone number is also part of that identity profile, which means yours is too.Sure, I can control which apps I download and who I give my number to, but many things require my smartphone's number.
I use several social media accounts that require it for account and authentication purposes.Of course, plenty of other apps also require number access within their permissions, not to mention any online registrations or forms.Exposure to your number isn't just on your device, but also on PCs, tablets, and more.
Just like you cannot completely hide your real Gmail address, you cannot thoroughly hide your phone number.The best way to protect yourself from solicited calls, potential scam notifications, and account theft is to establish some best practices and to get a virtual phone number.Your phone number (and privacy) are in your provider's hands They'll use it if you let them When you sign up for mobile service, the provider collects personal information and builds a profile as you use your new service.
They can track what you do and use it to market related services to you.While the FCC restricts them from selling Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI), such as phone numbers you called and your locations when making calls, they can still share your name and number internally amongst divisions, corporate entities, departments, and related affiliates.You automatically opted in and agreed to those privacy policies when you activated your account and device.
Yes, they can use the "opt-in" strategy as they know most consumers don't read the fine print or any legal jargon, for that matter.But don't freak out just yet.The good news is that they cannot use your information for marketing services you don't use without your consent.
But the bad news is that your name, phone number, and other information are shared, just not with external parties, without your approval.Boost, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and others can get hacked The potential breach of your phone number is real Every mobile service provider has the potential to get hacked, mainly through clicks on fake or misleading emails that create backdoors to access private information and systems.Whether you use Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or another cellular provider, a hacker may gain access to secured databases and online accounts, and they can potentially obtain your phone number and other details, such as your actual account number and address.
The risk of hacking is real, and you may hear about it quite often.If your information has been illegally accessed, your provider must inform you of the data breach and the data that may have been stolen.But at that point, it is too late—your number is out there for sale and potential abuse.
Apps love harvesting phone numbers They open up a can of worms when you register and use them Close I often download and register apps whenever I need a specific feature or function on my Android phone, and many times, the permission to access contacts is there.By allowing it, I gave the app permission to collect specific data, such as contacts.That means I gave the app permission to grab all phone numbers, including mine, from my contacts list.
At that point, my provider has nothing to do with it.App permissions are generally needed for an app to function correctly, and some require access to your contacts, like social media and calling apps, and even social games.Others may ask for permission when they don't necessarily need it to run correctly.
While they cannot use the contact data however they want, companies and publishers often hide legal jargon and fancy terms in their privacy policies and terms and conditions.The permission only summarizes what they do with the data.Related What Is a Burner Phone, and When Should You Use a Secret Phone Number? Fire is not included.
Posts By Tim Brookes Your friends, coworkers, and family can share your phone number, too It's data harvesting at its best The most concerning thing about app permissions is that all your friends, coworkers, and family can easily share their contacts without knowing or realizing they did it.When my friends accept the contacts permission on any app, I know my name and number could become exposed and even put up for sale.I could get promotional texts from digital marketers, or worse yet, phone calls.
I also don't like how it wastes storage space on my phone, in addition to cluttering my Messages inbox.I may never know where the phone number data was obtained, but I do know it was leaked or part of a permission that a contact allowed.At this point, there's a chance your number could be found on public lists all over the internet and received by marketers who buy the lists and want to sell or promote their goods or services.
Next thing you know, they turn around and do the same thing—use and sell, which leads to more unwanted phone calls and potential scam texts.Aside from others sharing your number through tricky app permissions, they can also use your name and number as a reference to an online application or share it to obtain more benefits from an app or service.I think you see where this is going.
Once your number is out in the wild, it becomes a target.For recycled phone numbers, prepare for harvested data You almost always get a recycled number You cannot request a fresh, unused smartphone number from any provider, mostly because they cannot specify whether the available numbers have been used before, but your new number is almost always recycled.The phone number data has already been obtained, and it could be in marketing or hacker hands.
The history behind that recycled number is carried over to you.However, there is an inactive period for recycled numbers (typically 6 months, depending on the provider) to help reduce calls and texts from a previous owner before it becomes available again.Yet, some activity is still common.
I've never had much of a problem here, but it definitely exists.If they target someone named Bryan, you'll know it was either a mistyped number, wrong account information, or the previous owner's name.Even though the previous owner of your new number no longer has access, app developers, digital marketers, and possibly the Dark Web have it.
It's time to put a stop to phone number exposure and harvesting Opt out where it matters, unallow permissions, and get a virtual number If you are signing up for a new number and service, you have a better chance of protecting your number than you do for an existing one.You can try to hide your phone number on Telegram or other IM apps, but your first step should be to access your cellular service account online and head over to the security and privacy section.Most cellular providers include settings to opt out of using specific data or marketing what they have stored on you.
Log in to your account and head to privacy settings, such as Verizon's Privacy Choices section, T-Mobile's Privacy Dashboard, or AT&T's Privacy Choices page.I would opt out of data sharing within your account, but I'd also suggest asking them for an unlisted status to give you peace of mind and protect your number from future policy changes.I know I certainly don't want my number exposed to the public in such ways, but I know it could happen.
It's also a good idea to review app policies and permissions.Go through your installed apps and disallow contact permissions where you think they're not needed.If an app does need your contact data and your phone number, decide whether the app is worth keeping.
Google and Apple strive to protect your personal information, so they uphold strict privacy requirements for app publishers, such as requiring specific details on what each permission does.But again, most details will be in their privacy policy and terms and conditions.The last step you can take is to set up a virtual number, especially since it hides your real phone number, and you can change it anytime you need or want.
This comes in handy if you're getting constant marketing calls or unwanted messages.I use my older iPhone SE (2020) that doesn't have mobile service, and I can still make and receive personal phone calls and send texts when on Wi-Fi, but the app requires Wi-Fi or mobile service to work.Be cautious of who you give your virtual number to because if you lose service or change the number, the other party cannot reach you.
I personally use the Burner app, which works for Android and iOS.You must also know that a subscription (very small) is almost always required to gain all essential features, like receiving two-factor authentication messages and completing registrations requiring a valid phone number.It's the same for any virtual number app you choose.
For instance, free plans don't usually give you two-factor messages and are often denied by online registrations.Paid plans almost always allow such actions.You may receive a "burner" number first, but you need a "verified" number (often a separate subscription) to receive authentication messages.
Many websites accept verified numbers during registration, but some still reject them since they're not authentic mobile numbers.Use your real number if needed for a specific website, app, or platform.Related 5 essential privacy features that are only on Google Pixel phones Google isn't known for privacy, but Pixel phones have some nice options.
Posts By Joe Fedewa You can't secure your smartphone number 100%, but you can reduce its exposure Disallowing app permissions on your device and opting out of data sharing and identifiable information through your online account certainly helps, but there is always the chance that your provider gets hacked or your information is shared by others.That's why grabbing a virtual number (or two) is another wise step to secure your real number from as much exposure and abuse as possible.You can use the virtual number for registrations, online forms, and even as a contact number to prevent your real number from being exposed by your friends' app permissions.
Read More
