this post was submitted on 25 Aug 2024
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[–] AsudoxDev@programming.dev 4 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I actually think that too. People just think that providing their phone numbers makes them less private when privacy does not mean anonymity.

[–] SweetCitrusBuzz@beehaw.org 4 points 2 months ago

Yeah. Phone numbers are less of an issue now what with usernames and with certain options chosen no one can find you by phone number on Signal.

I do agree with them to some degree that tying accounts to phone numbers should be removed or at least optional, but it's less of an issue now.

I think a lot of people make the mistake of thinking privacy means "the maxmimum amount of privacy at all times" and whilst that's understandable it's not a thing that is likely in this current world nor does everyone need it, which is why people can and should be doing accurate threat modelling for themselves, which most don't.

[–] uis@lemm.ee 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

People just think that providing their phone numbers makes them less private when privacy does not mean anonymity.

Yeah, people just think that providing their phone numbers makes local police able to easily find them and insert soldering iron into their rectum when privacy does not mean that that police will not easily find you for what you said on the internets. Wait, what?

[–] SweetCitrusBuzz@beehaw.org 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Okay, I'll bite. But considering Signal has no data and very little metadata to give people, what exactly is the problem? What evidence would they have to arrest people on?

Especially now that people don't have to share phone numbers to add a contact and can stop others from finding them via numbers.

[–] uis@lemm.ee 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

What evidence would they have to arrest people on?

Message in big group chat and phone number. Message can for example say that war is bad, and as result you will be charhed with "discreditation of army".

Especially now that people don't have to share phone numbers to add a contact

Phone number that tied to your passport. Yep, not sharing phone number to add a contact will magically help here.

[–] SweetCitrusBuzz@beehaw.org 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That's fair, one reason I stay out of big groups, though you can set it not to be displayed to anyone, so I'm not fully grasping your argument.

What do you mean by passport? It will a bit, if someone doesn't know the phone number of an account that sent a message.

[–] uis@lemm.ee 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

though you can set it not to be displayed to anyone,

Is it something new? I don't remember it being a thing.

What do you mean by passport?

In certain countries(Russia) you need passport to buy SIM card. So phone number is tied to person.

[–] SweetCitrusBuzz@beehaw.org 2 points 2 months ago

Fairly new, yeah.

Oh, right, yeah, that's bad.