Microsoft doesn't ask for your "mobile" phone number. They ask for your phone number. I entered my landline and then couldn't complete the transaction apparently because they couldn't text it.
Had that happen to me. Companies that won't let you proceed with anything unless you provide a cell number. If you have only a landline or don't want to give out your cell, you are SOL. They suck.
@@squirrelattackspidy Nope, burner phone paid in cash, with prepaid SIM also paid in cash. No, I don't trust them. A phone number is a unique code allowing the tying together of multiple information sources. I will take responsibility for my own mistakes thanks.
Sites also often engage too strong or incorrect restrictions on what they let you enter. For example, in Norway I have seen sites that don't accept (a) foreign phone numbers, (b) numbers not 8 digits long (=most numbers in N), (c) first digit not a 4 or 9 (=most mobiles, but some IoT/data stuff are 12 digits starting with 58 or 8 digits starting with 59), or (d) landlines that could have accepted sms (ISDN). Some incorrectly accept foreign numbers that aren't textable. This is akin to US sites that only accept addresses with US layout and ZIP codes.
I understand their insistence. People lose accounts ALL THE TIME (I hear about it often), and get very upset when they do. Often they lose them because they failed to set up recovery information like phone numbers. Insisting now is one way to reduce the chances of a problem later.
@@terry_willis I believe it's a way to prevent scammers from creating lots of fake accounts. They can create email addresses easily and quickly, but requirung a working cell phone number means they can't mass create accounts.
@@askleonotenboom it sounds like it's ultimately for the company's benefit, to reduce the pressure on their customer support. But their's no good solution to this issue. 1. don't enforce 2factor on peoples account, and have the customer support flooded by complaints of lost accounts. 2. enforce 2factor, and have people complain about the enforcement, but also people complaining about having lost access to the phonenumber they provided.
So why do we discourage people from using SMS as 2FA, but now you're saying we need to encourage phone SMS for account recovery? Doesn't one negate the other if you use phone at all?
That "account recovery" reason is just BS. The phone number is a major data point that links a lot of activity to you with high accuracy. If its a cell number, then they have a goldmine of quality info on you moving forward that they can hawk. Account recovery can be done using an alternate email. I never give my cell phone to these organizations as far s I can throw them 😀
This is an outright lie. If it was strictly for account recovery, it would not be made compulsory as often as it is, with all problems that creates for large portions of end users. Account recovery is the friendly public facing pretext for their private internal objectives.
Thank you for sharing this valuable info. I especially liked your ending comment about those who do not trust the sites they use. I am so tired of explaining all this over and over to people, so I had a video message on my phone that I can play for them or send to them (I just change it to a link to your video). It used to be, though many still use email verification, where we click a link in the email to verify that way. However, many times far too many people leave their computers unlocked/unsecured, such as disabling a login password or pin, and anyone can use the email on that system, or even provide our email to unverifying sites from places like China or India (like my nephews trying to order a bunch of $100+ games -- the best part was listening to their stammered excuses when confronted over it). Phones, however, are typically either on our person, or nearby (if not buried in someone's face while blasting down the road or holding up traffic at a traffic light - if I only had anti-tank armaments in my car to rectify that... 😉). When Google, Microsoft, Samsung, etc. pop up a dialog for us to respond YES or NO as a verification request, it is FAR more likely to be us. Being an A+ Certified Technician and having been in the business of computer services since 1978, I can remember when verification was by Snail Mail or needing to show up at an authorized physical location with ID in hand to verify myself (being 70, I have also started saying things like "Back in my day, this was all trees"). The phone number eliminates all those headaches, plus many vendors also have a checkbox to get authorization for that number, to send recommendations, texts, or to call us, usually for surveys. I always uncheck that box.
AOL will not let you open a new email account without a phone number. My AOL account is very old and they just keep pestering me for a phone number. I bet my AOL email is 30 years old and have never forgotten my email password. I do not give them a phone number.
This *does not work* when you [1] still have access to your account but [2] *no longer have access to your phone.* Can't you just add your new number? No! They have to verify it with a text to the phone you no longer have! Do they understand the problem here? No! Their system does not allow for this scenario and you can't get to speak to a person with the ability to help. Who are "they"? Amazon.
I’m actually thinking about a modern challenge “Can you live without a phone number?” for a month. 25 years ago the equivalent was buying everything online and living off deliveries.
Off the top of my head: 1) Avoid spammers/scammers opening many accounts. 2) Backup in case you forget your password, so you aren't bothering support, and requiring them to use lower-security ways of verifying you. 3) Collaborate with other companies to determine who you really are. (if it were really just for account recovery, they wouldn't require a phone number, or they'd provide an alternative like a secret code you can write down and they require to recover your account).
@@enadegheeghaghe6369 Then you learn a lesson and lose access to the account. The upside is that nobody can get into your account without the code or your password.
Facebook also checks to make sure that the phone number hasn't already been used with another Facebook account, so stopping you from opening more than one account with the same verification phone number.
While I understand what you say, I have a lot of issues with the implementation. I live in two countries (the US and HK). I have one phone, but two SIMs. I swap them when travelling between the two countries. (Sometimes, when travelling to a 3rd country, I get a temporary SIM for that country.) A few companies now allow you to input two different numbers -- and some even give you the option of receiving a recovery code via e-mail, which is usually better for me. But many only allow one, which means that when I am in the other country, I am unreachable for such purposes. And some have additional requirements for what format they will accept for the number. For example, HK has a 3 digit country code, no local area code, and an 8 digit phone number. Some US-based companies will accept the country code in lieu of the US area code, but will not accept an 8 digit number.
Not everyone uses mobile phones; why do they assume everyone has one? Is it a law? What happens if something happens to your phone? Then you may lose access to multiple accounts. Why do some places refuse to use email addresses instead? If a computer goes down, you can still access the email from a different one. (I have many computers-Windows and Linux. And I have a phone, but not a cell phone.) I had a Robinhood account I got locked out of because they assumed my phone number could receive text messages, which it could not. After finally getting in after a week of trying and filing a complaint with the BBB, I immediately closed that account. (I also had a problem setting up a PayPal account, but when I complained they changed it so it did not require a mobile number-for me at least.)
What happens if something happens to your phone? I assume you phone is locked with a good password or fingerprint lock or something similar to protect your information if your phone is stolen. . You can get a new phone and recover your phone number from your cellphone carrier
sorry, i beg to disagree. why don't they ask for other emails as recovery, which google and other email providers already do. in fact i specified 3 other emails as recovery for this google account i am using to comment. google and facebook do this because of some ulterior and obvious motives. nowadays, except when you use a burner phone and prepaid sim cards, all mobile numbers are tied to a real name. even my country which has one of the most liberal internet and telecom rules has implemented a sim registration law just last year. all mobile numbers in our country including prepaid ones are now tied to a name.
I'm unconvinced this is accurate. Phone numbers make your data more valuable as it allows cross-service correlation by data brokers. There are strong authentication apps by many companies including Microsoft and Google which could be used for password recovery, as well as password vaults. However, those may not be unique - you may use one on a computer which does not have GPS capabilities and which you may swap them out far more frequently than you change your phone number, so they are less useful for data-miners. SMS is highly insecure and should not be used for authentication. Hilariously, the Microsoft authentication app on an apple phone requires a *personal* MS live account and then *also* requires an icloud account with space on it to execute a backup. if you don't want to pay for additional icloud space, its likely that your space will be full from imessages and you can't back up your MS authenticator data. It is stupidly convoluted, as if they really don't want you to use it. The redhat opensource authenticator just requires a password on the backup file you store locally. These companies' interests conflict with the interests of their users. Its best not to use any of them.
No, that's wrong. They claim it's for account recovery, but in reality, they want to get your phone number to have as part of their records! Basically, it's like the classic non-denial denial.
3:42 Underhanded to call it conspiracy to suggest that companies use your phone number for other purposes. Google is an advertising company. Of course they use your "recovery" phone number for more than just recovery. Why would you have a Google account but not want to give them a phone number? Basically, why would you want to give them minimal information? Because you want to give them as little as possible to get their services.
This guy basically calls any criticism of Microsoft a conspiracy. He defended the entire recall thing. Now with a straight face he's trying to say that these companies don't have an obvious financial motive to access your phone number ... Not to mention a fiduciary responsibility to put shareholder profits above all else. To accept that this is somehow for the consumers benefit and not Microsoft is laughable
If I were to interject my two cents; I would request some additional Linux related content. It'll be particularly relevant in the coming year when their user base spikes due to whatever shenanigans Microsoft is currently planning.
@@askleonotenboom Dear Leo, I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts on Linux problems/ issues. I may be the 1% of the 1% percent out there but still decided to post a comment 😅
@@askleonotenboom Request for more Linux information. Basic start up info would be great. Like what distro to use. I get conflicting opinions on that - some say "try several and see which one you like best". I don't have the time or will to do that. Just give me the easiest one to transition to from Windows and best mimics Windows.
@@terry_willis Well, that's the problem. There's really no one "easiest", or "best mimics". They can't mimic it perfectly, and the distance between what they can do and what you expect varies from person to person. For everyone that says start with Mint, someone else says start with Zorin, and someone else says start with something else. That's one of the reasons Linux can be so problematic for beginners.
It is even worse. I did not forget my login information or password, but I simply had not used the account for some time and they then demanded me to verify my own account, which I could not do as I had been recently transferred by the company I worked for to another country and I no longer had the previous mobile number. There was no way for me to contact anyone as they demanded phone verification just to contact them.
I am sure they are using for adverting or some other malicious intent. As far as security, it only added headaches. Afterwards they forced sms or other verification on the phone, which did not aid in security, but meant that I could not access my own account when the verification method was not working. I want to log in first, without verification as these are my verifications for other places.
You are forgetting about SIM swapping which is becoming more prevalent or just losing your phone. With access to your phone number it will allow them to gain access to your accounts and therefore access to Gmail or Outlook and cloud accounts and as a consequence maybe your financial accounts . All the security experts give a different opinion than you indicate and say to avoid giving phone numbers to these accounts because of these reasons, but set up better multi FA with security keys, authentication app, recovery codes/keys, etc. I am reviewing all my financial accounts so that I do not need my telephone number to recover accounts, just in case I lose my phone or there is a sim swap scenario.
I have a problem with PayPal account of my dad. While setting up the account I used a phone number of my dad which was valid at the time. That number has been changed, the earlier number isn't valid anymore. Unfortunately I can't login to change that. I'm trying to login, and in the 1st step I get a code to enter to the email address of my dad. So I enter the code, but then in the next step I need to verify via phone number. Which is not up to date. That 2nd step can't be disabled and I can't go inside dad's PayPal, so it seems. I can't use the PayPal app on his phone since it's not set up. What should I do to login? My own PayPal account is working well, it's not a problem there at all.
All I can suggest is reaching out to PayPal. Be prepared for some barriers, though, since what you describe could also be claimed by a scammer to get into an existing account.
@ You think you are crushing me with your inexorable logic haha. Sometimes you need an account to function n our digital society Try to be more intelligent than you pretend
@@alfredopampanga9356 so if you need the account to function and they already have all the information in said account, what difference will your refusing to give your phone number make? Also they can probably find your phone number if they really want it, especially if it attached to a smartphone many apps on your device have access to your phone number anyway
@ Really? I needed a Facebook account to get free wifi at Cebu airport. In many situations when searching for businesses I get referred to their Facebook page. As for google , it’s possible to use alternatives but they have a near monopoly on business advertising which is being repeatedly challenged in the EU I don’t trust my phone company either but it’s impossible to function without a phone
Wait a bit. Its quite easy to own a smart phone in a name and then let someone else be the de fact owner and user. Also, what happens if I do not own a smartphone.
This is super annoying. I have this information already in my profile and it keeps repetitively asking me to update it. The number is correct! I have 2-step and the dumb system pings me at least once a day when I sign into my email for the first time in the morning. :/
@@vaughnbay That is correct, sort of. First you said smartphone, and not all cell phones are smartphones. Second, there are services online where you can get a number that's capable of receiving text messages without needing a cell phone.
In some countries you cannot get a sim card without providing a photocopy of your ID or Passport (or maybe some other identification such as a Drivings License). I believe that international terrorism has forced countries take such serious measures. And I do believe that companies are required by governments to force us giving them our number AND collecting our data. Sadly the legal framework is a work still in progress as it ALWAYS comes into place AFTER something has happened. The law by default will ALWAYS be one step behind technological advances and sadly some ARE willing to take advantage of that.
Benjamin Franklin said that “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety”. Not directly related but you probably get the point.
Then they should charge us money instead of forcing us to give up our data. I'm happy to pay in fact I would much rather pay a standalone fee than be forced to accept all their ridiculous data collection
That all sounds fine and everything but suppose someone loses their cellphone number or change cellphone number? One guy i know changes his cellphone number seems like every other month.
You sound like you work for Microsoft or Google and I'm quite certain it's far more nefarious. They have your number now they can track you wherever you go not just on the internet.
Off course they can track you. Why do you think you can make calls from wherever you are with your cellphone? I if you don't want to be tracked, don't buy or use a phone
They need to verify that it is really you and not someone pretending to be you. Many services have started to require 2FA. Even if 2FA is not required, you should setup it
Totally the wrong way to honestly verify anyone! Mobile numbers, and email accounts? The only true way to verify is see the real person and look at signature, and maybe go along with a photograph, birth certificate, and maybe even finger prints. Some of these are part of getting something like, an actual driver's license.
If account recovery purposes is the reason, then why won't Google or Microsoft commit with steep monetary payments to me if they use the number for *any* other purpose. That's your BS detector.
I bet you've never read the terms and conditions of the "free" and service you signed up for. LOL You think Google gives you search, email, maps and other services because they are generous? You think their dozens of server farms run for free?
2FA has gotten in my way more times than it has helped me, so now I just keep minimal sensitive information in various accounts so I don't have to care if they get hijacked or lost.
Great point! If someone doesn't trust Google or Microsoft with his or her phone number, that person shouldn't even bother jabbing a Google or Microsoft account.
I mean that's easier said than done. Some companies require you getting Google or Microsoft account. Or if you do any kind of freelance work there's a good chance you're going to need one or the other or both just to deal with clients. These are literally companies with Monopoly positions over some of their markets. To act like it's just easy for people to choose not to use them is silly
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Microsoft doesn't ask for your "mobile" phone number. They ask for your phone number. I entered my landline and then couldn't complete the transaction apparently because they couldn't text it.
Had that happen to me. Companies that won't let you proceed with anything unless you provide a cell number. If you have only a landline or don't want to give out your cell, you are SOL. They suck.
@@squirrelattackspidy Nope, burner phone paid in cash, with prepaid SIM also paid in cash. No, I don't trust them. A phone number is a unique code allowing the tying together of multiple information sources. I will take responsibility for my own mistakes thanks.
Sites also often engage too strong or incorrect restrictions on what they let you enter. For example, in Norway I have seen sites that don't accept (a) foreign phone numbers, (b) numbers not 8 digits long (=most numbers in N), (c) first digit not a 4 or 9 (=most mobiles, but some IoT/data stuff are 12 digits starting with 58 or 8 digits starting with 59), or (d) landlines that could have accepted sms (ISDN). Some incorrectly accept foreign numbers that aren't textable. This is akin to US sites that only accept addresses with US layout and ZIP codes.
If what you claim is correct , companies would OFFER phone verification. But if they INSIST something nefarious is their intention
I understand their insistence. People lose accounts ALL THE TIME (I hear about it often), and get very upset when they do. Often they lose them because they failed to set up recovery information like phone numbers. Insisting now is one way to reduce the chances of a problem later.
@@askleonotenboom So why don't they give you the option of using another of your email accounts instead of your phone number?
@@terry_willis I believe it's a way to prevent scammers from creating lots of fake accounts. They can create email addresses easily and quickly, but requirung a working cell phone number means they can't mass create accounts.
@@askleonotenboom it sounds like it's ultimately for the company's benefit, to reduce the pressure on their customer support. But their's no good solution to this issue.
1. don't enforce 2factor on peoples account, and have the customer support flooded by complaints of lost accounts.
2. enforce 2factor, and have people complain about the enforcement, but also people complaining about having lost access to the phonenumber they provided.
We're screwed, been screwed for many years. Horse has left the barn.
So why do we discourage people from using SMS as 2FA, but now you're saying we need to encourage phone SMS for account recovery? Doesn't one negate the other if you use phone at all?
Some services simply require SMS. Nowhere am I saying it's perfect, but it's better than no additional confirmation at all.
What's SMS?
@@bigred9428 Texts or text messaging. "Short Message Service"
That "account recovery" reason is just BS. The phone number is a major data point that links a lot of activity to you with high accuracy. If its a cell number, then they have a goldmine of quality info on you moving forward that they can hawk.
Account recovery can be done using an alternate email. I never give my cell phone to these organizations as far s I can throw them 😀
Hahahaha, you want to open an account where you will store a lot of personal information but it's the phone number you are afraid to give? LOL
I have pretty much switched over to proton email and just use a gmail for my "junk" account now.
So, you must have a phone? And the new ones, etc? Brutal to the lower income people.
This is an outright lie. If it was strictly for account recovery, it would not be made compulsory as often as it is, with all problems that creates for large portions of end users. Account recovery is the friendly public facing pretext for their private internal objectives.
Thank you for sharing this valuable info. I especially liked your ending comment about those who do not trust the sites they use. I am so tired of explaining all this over and over to people, so I had a video message on my phone that I can play for them or send to them (I just change it to a link to your video). It used to be, though many still use email verification, where we click a link in the email to verify that way. However, many times far too many people leave their computers unlocked/unsecured, such as disabling a login password or pin, and anyone can use the email on that system, or even provide our email to unverifying sites from places like China or India (like my nephews trying to order a bunch of $100+ games -- the best part was listening to their stammered excuses when confronted over it). Phones, however, are typically either on our person, or nearby (if not buried in someone's face while blasting down the road or holding up traffic at a traffic light - if I only had anti-tank armaments in my car to rectify that... 😉). When Google, Microsoft, Samsung, etc. pop up a dialog for us to respond YES or NO as a verification request, it is FAR more likely to be us. Being an A+ Certified Technician and having been in the business of computer services since 1978, I can remember when verification was by Snail Mail or needing to show up at an authorized physical location with ID in hand to verify myself (being 70, I have also started saying things like "Back in my day, this was all trees"). The phone number eliminates all those headaches, plus many vendors also have a checkbox to get authorization for that number, to send recommendations, texts, or to call us, usually for surveys. I always uncheck that box.
All good and fine until your phone is stolen and the thief is resetting your account(s)..
Well, if someone can easily unlock your phone or you do not have PIN on your SIM, you are asking for trouble...
Yes good point
AOL will not let you open a new email account without a phone number. My AOL account is very old and they just keep pestering me for a phone number. I bet my AOL email is 30 years old and have never forgotten my email password. I do not give them a phone number.
This *does not work* when you [1] still have access to your account but [2] *no longer have access to your phone.* Can't you just add your new number? No! They have to verify it with a text to the phone you no longer have! Do they understand the problem here? No! Their system does not allow for this scenario and you can't get to speak to a person with the ability to help. Who are "they"? Amazon.
I’m actually thinking about a modern challenge “Can you live without a phone number?” for a month. 25 years ago the equivalent was buying everything online and living off deliveries.
On this one you can't honestly answer this message unless you work for Microsoft and know why they really asking for a phone number.
Off the top of my head: 1) Avoid spammers/scammers opening many accounts. 2) Backup in case you forget your password, so you aren't bothering support, and requiring them to use lower-security ways of verifying you. 3) Collaborate with other companies to determine who you really are. (if it were really just for account recovery, they wouldn't require a phone number, or they'd provide an alternative like a secret code you can write down and they require to recover your account).
And if you loose or forget the code?
@@enadegheeghaghe6369 Then you learn a lesson and lose access to the account. The upside is that nobody can get into your account without the code or your password.
@@enadegheeghaghe6369 And what if you "loose" or change the phone number and/or phone?
Facebook also checks to make sure that the phone number hasn't already been used with another Facebook account, so stopping you from opening more than one account with the same verification phone number.
Once again, I'm smarter because of watching your content. Thanks. JimE
While I understand what you say, I have a lot of issues with the implementation. I live in two countries (the US and HK). I have one phone, but two SIMs. I swap them when travelling between the two countries. (Sometimes, when travelling to a 3rd country, I get a temporary SIM for that country.) A few companies now allow you to input two different numbers -- and some even give you the option of receiving a recovery code via e-mail, which is usually better for me. But many only allow one, which means that when I am in the other country, I am unreachable for such purposes. And some have additional requirements for what format they will accept for the number. For example, HK has a 3 digit country code, no local area code, and an 8 digit phone number. Some US-based companies will accept the country code in lieu of the US area code, but will not accept an 8 digit number.
Not everyone uses mobile phones; why do they assume everyone has one? Is it a law? What happens if something happens to your phone? Then you may lose access to multiple accounts. Why do some places refuse to use email addresses instead? If a computer goes down, you can still access the email from a different one. (I have many computers-Windows and Linux. And I have a phone, but not a cell phone.) I had a Robinhood account I got locked out of because they assumed my phone number could receive text messages, which it could not. After finally getting in after a week of trying and filing a complaint with the BBB, I immediately closed that account. (I also had a problem setting up a PayPal account, but when I complained they changed it so it did not require a mobile number-for me at least.)
This is the first decade where that’s a valid position.
What happens if something happens to your phone? I assume you phone is locked with a good password or fingerprint lock or something similar to protect your information if your phone is stolen. . You can get a new phone and recover your phone number from your cellphone carrier
sorry, i beg to disagree. why don't they ask for other emails as recovery, which google and other email providers already do. in fact i specified 3 other emails as recovery for this google account i am using to comment. google and facebook do this because of some ulterior and obvious motives. nowadays, except when you use a burner phone and prepaid sim cards, all mobile numbers are tied to a real name. even my country which has one of the most liberal internet and telecom rules has implemented a sim registration law just last year. all mobile numbers in our country including prepaid ones are now tied to a name.
I'm unconvinced this is accurate. Phone numbers make your data more valuable as it allows cross-service correlation by data brokers. There are strong authentication apps by many companies including Microsoft and Google which could be used for password recovery, as well as password vaults. However, those may not be unique - you may use one on a computer which does not have GPS capabilities and which you may swap them out far more frequently than you change your phone number, so they are less useful for data-miners.
SMS is highly insecure and should not be used for authentication. Hilariously, the Microsoft authentication app on an apple phone requires a *personal* MS live account and then *also* requires an icloud account with space on it to execute a backup. if you don't want to pay for additional icloud space, its likely that your space will be full from imessages and you can't back up your MS authenticator data. It is stupidly convoluted, as if they really don't want you to use it. The redhat opensource authenticator just requires a password on the backup file you store locally.
These companies' interests conflict with the interests of their users. Its best not to use any of them.
Doesn't Linux also have other options in addition to that?
@@swagmuffin9000 Browser/OS independent password vaults are handy. Though secure backup does need to be considered to avoid a single point of failure.
Why would anyone give them their real telephone number. No one ever checks if it is correct.
No, that's wrong. They claim it's for account recovery, but in reality, they want to get your phone number to have as part of their records! Basically, it's like the classic non-denial denial.
Hmm, I've noticed this, but being that i switch numbers so frequently, this becomes a security risk for me.
3:42 Underhanded to call it conspiracy to suggest that companies use your phone number for other purposes. Google is an advertising company. Of course they use your "recovery" phone number for more than just recovery. Why would you have a Google account but not want to give them a phone number? Basically, why would you want to give them minimal information? Because you want to give them as little as possible to get their services.
This guy basically calls any criticism of Microsoft a conspiracy. He defended the entire recall thing. Now with a straight face he's trying to say that these companies don't have an obvious financial motive to access your phone number ... Not to mention a fiduciary responsibility to put shareholder profits above all else. To accept that this is somehow for the consumers benefit and not Microsoft is laughable
So what happened just having some security questions that you have to know the answer to? What was wrong with that?
They became horribly not-secure. Answers were easily guessable, and/or discoverable online.
If I were to interject my two cents; I would request some additional Linux related content. It'll be particularly relevant in the coming year when their user base spikes due to whatever shenanigans Microsoft is currently planning.
I respond generally to what I'm asked. I get almost no Linux questions (I realize it's chicken and egg, but still.) If that changes, of course I will.
@@askleonotenboom
Dear Leo, I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts on Linux problems/ issues. I may be the 1% of the 1% percent out there but still decided to post a comment 😅
@@askleonotenboom Request for more Linux information. Basic start up info would be great. Like what distro to use. I get conflicting opinions on that - some say "try several and see which one you like best". I don't have the time or will to do that. Just give me the easiest one to transition to from Windows and best mimics Windows.
@@terry_willis Well, that's the problem. There's really no one "easiest", or "best mimics". They can't mimic it perfectly, and the distance between what they can do and what you expect varies from person to person. For everyone that says start with Mint, someone else says start with Zorin, and someone else says start with something else. That's one of the reasons Linux can be so problematic for beginners.
It is even worse. I did not forget my login information or password, but I simply had not used the account for some time and they then demanded me to verify my own account, which I could not do as I had been recently transferred by the company I worked for to another country and I no longer had the previous mobile number. There was no way for me to contact anyone as they demanded phone verification just to contact them.
To be fair, how will they know it's you and not someone else trying to get into a dormant account?
I work with seniors who don't have and don't want cellphones. What can I do to help them?
Me too. Now we are moving towards a cashless society where your phone is your key to everything.
If a service requires something you don't, won't, or can't have, your only option is to use a different service.
If you can give your phone number to strangers i don't see the reason why you can't trust the same with Google.
Google uses it to determine if you have multiple accounts.
I am sure they are using for adverting or some other malicious intent. As far as security, it only added headaches. Afterwards they forced sms or other verification on the phone, which did not aid in security, but meant that I could not access my own account when the verification method was not working. I want to log in first, without verification as these are my verifications for other places.
You can disable two step verification for a lot of services. Not sure why would you but it is an option...
You are forgetting about SIM swapping which is becoming more prevalent or just losing your phone. With access to your phone number it will allow them to gain access to your accounts and therefore access to Gmail or Outlook and cloud accounts and as a consequence maybe your financial accounts . All the security experts give a different opinion than you indicate and say to avoid giving phone numbers to these accounts because of these reasons, but set up better multi FA with security keys, authentication app, recovery codes/keys, etc. I am reviewing all my financial accounts so that I do not need my telephone number to recover accounts, just in case I lose my phone or there is a sim swap scenario.
So, we're totally screwed if we don't own a cell phone? I can't be bothered with one. I'm a desktop PC guy.
Is something that they can sell later to information services, sellers and all kind o bums that make you life a living hell.
I have a problem with PayPal account of my dad. While setting up the account I used a phone number of my dad which was valid at the time. That number has been changed, the earlier number isn't valid anymore. Unfortunately I can't login to change that. I'm trying to login, and in the 1st step I get a code to enter to the email address of my dad. So I enter the code, but then in the next step I need to verify via phone number. Which is not up to date. That 2nd step can't be disabled and I can't go inside dad's PayPal, so it seems. I can't use the PayPal app on his phone since it's not set up.
What should I do to login? My own PayPal account is working well, it's not a problem there at all.
All I can suggest is reaching out to PayPal. Be prepared for some barriers, though, since what you describe could also be claimed by a scammer to get into an existing account.
PayPal has a customer service phone number. Use it.
Yes, Google et al are companies of the utmost integrity I trust them like my mother. Haha
The point is, why open an account with them if you don't trust them in the first place?
@ You think you are crushing me with your inexorable logic haha. Sometimes you need an account to function n our digital society Try to be more intelligent than you pretend
@@alfredopampanga9356 so if you need the account to function and they already have all the information in said account, what difference will your refusing to give your phone number make? Also they can probably find your phone number if they really want it, especially if it attached to a smartphone many apps on your device have access to your phone number anyway
@alfredopampanga9356 how exactly do you need a Google or Facebook account to function? I know people who have neither and are functioning quite well
@ Really? I needed a Facebook account to get free wifi at Cebu airport. In many situations when searching for businesses I get referred to their Facebook page.
As for google , it’s possible to use alternatives but they have a near monopoly on business advertising which is being repeatedly challenged in the EU
I don’t trust my phone company either but it’s impossible to function without a phone
Wait a bit. Its quite easy to own a smart phone in a name and then let someone else be the de fact owner and user. Also, what happens if I do not own a smartphone.
Not to mention if your phone and computer are simultaneously stolen. People are insane!
@@BlueSpruce2how will the thief log into your phone if it is locked?
This is super annoying. I have this information already in my profile and it keeps repetitively asking me to update it. The number is correct! I have 2-step and the dumb system pings me at least once a day when I sign into my email for the first time in the morning. :/
So Leo, I guess a SMARTPHONE (SMS services) is mandatory to have use of MS or Google services?
A flip phone will do. ANY number that can receive SMS text messages.
@@askleonotenboom The point is if you do not have a cell phone you can't use their service.
@@vaughnbay That is correct, sort of. First you said smartphone, and not all cell phones are smartphones. Second, there are services online where you can get a number that's capable of receiving text messages without needing a cell phone.
I just hate getting text messages. I don’t know a lot of accounts texting me for this and that I opt out whenever possible.
@@askleonotenboom like google voice?
Surveillance. The services should not be used anonymously. There are many examples where services can be restored even without a phone number.
Not these days.
In some countries you cannot get a sim card without providing a photocopy of your ID or Passport (or maybe some other identification such as a Drivings License). I believe that international terrorism has forced countries take such serious measures. And I do believe that companies are required by governments to force us giving them our number AND collecting our data. Sadly the legal framework is a work still in progress as it ALWAYS comes into place AFTER something has happened. The law by default will ALWAYS be one step behind technological advances and sadly some ARE willing to take advantage of that.
Benjamin Franklin said that “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety”. Not directly related but you probably get the point.
@terry_willis
I do get the point! Very interesting indeed!! Thank you for your comment :)
Because nothing in this world is FREE.
Then they should charge us money instead of forcing us to give up our data. I'm happy to pay in fact I would much rather pay a standalone fee than be forced to accept all their ridiculous data collection
They're using it for datamining as well.
Would LOVE to see proof of this. Please provide if you can.
But what I lost my phone. That is more than likely. Now they have the second method of verification.
But they won't have your password. And you can (quickly) get your phone number reassigned to a replacement phone.
That all sounds fine and everything but suppose someone loses their cellphone number or change cellphone number? One guy i know changes his cellphone number seems like every other month.
Is this your problem?
You can change your verification phone number as well. This is not a problem
Nagging for phone is extremely annoying and unsafe. 😮
You sound like you work for Microsoft or Google and I'm quite certain it's far more nefarious. They have your number now they can track you wherever you go not just on the internet.
Google and Microsoft can't track phone numbers. Your carrier does.
They track your phone, if you are logged in and connected to the internet.
They don't need your number to track you. (Especially if you have a smartphone - you're already soaking in their ecosystem.)
😂😂😂@@askleonotenboom
Came here to say this.
Off course they can track you. Why do you think you can make calls from wherever you are with your cellphone? I if you don't want to be tracked, don't buy or use a phone
What are the work around you mentioned
They need to verify that it is really you and not someone pretending to be you. Many services have started to require 2FA. Even if 2FA is not required, you should setup it
Totally the wrong way to honestly verify anyone! Mobile numbers, and email accounts? The only true way to verify is see the real person and look at signature, and maybe go along with a photograph, birth certificate, and maybe even finger prints. Some of these are part of getting something like, an actual driver's license.
2FA is worthless if you're caught in a man in the middle attack.
I just put in an imaginary number and no one cares. Just more BS so that we imagine we are somehow important. Silly stuff.
Don't use the site then.
I do believe that's one of the options I mentioned in the video.
@@askleonotenboom Well done. It's fairly obvious though. If you ain't prepared to pay the price, don't buy the product.
If account recovery purposes is the reason, then why won't Google or Microsoft commit with steep monetary payments to me if they use the number for *any* other purpose. That's your BS detector.
I bet you've never read the terms and conditions of the "free" and service you signed up for. LOL
You think Google gives you search, email, maps and other services because they are generous? You think their dozens of server farms run for free?
2FA has gotten in my way more times than it has helped me, so now I just keep minimal sensitive information in various accounts so I don't have to care if they get hijacked or lost.
I always give them a fake number.
That typically doesn't work. They insist you receiving a code on that number before you proceed. (At least Google, et al, do.)
Great point! If someone doesn't trust Google or Microsoft with his or her phone number, that person shouldn't even bother jabbing a Google or Microsoft account.
I mean that's easier said than done. Some companies require you getting Google or Microsoft account. Or if you do any kind of freelance work there's a good chance you're going to need one or the other or both just to deal with clients. These are literally companies with Monopoly positions over some of their markets. To act like it's just easy for people to choose not to use them is silly
They sell them
Would love to see proof of this.