Privacy

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Has anyone successfully used a prepaid phone and number for app registration? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 day ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

42 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I’m looking into getting a flip phone with a separate number so that I can sign up for a few apps that without associating them with ~~the complete identity profile in the data marketplace that is linked to~~ my actual phone number.

To be clear, the apps will still be downloaded and utilized on my primary smartphone. But the phone number through which I receive verification codes during registration will be a separate device.

Has any one done this? Tips for selecting a cheapo phone and prepaid service?

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Your cell phone company associates SMS with your location all the time, and sells that data to brokers who overlay it with app data associated with a phone number.

I'm not sure what you're not following. Just because another provider has my location, doesn't mean a broker can associate that location to a phone number on another provider (and thus connected apps).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

I’m not sure what you are t following. They’re associating your location with your phone number non stop. The sms message is just you sending a message.

Another provider has you location, another broker can pay for your information. Brokers clean up all the data they receive and match it to specific individuals. That’s how they do their job.

Broker 1: hey got any data on person01?

Broker 2: hey I got data on person01, how much you willing to pay?

Broker1: sweet, I’ll pay this much.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 hours ago

OK, let's do this step by step. We're going to use a prepaid SIM like op mentions:

Buy SIM prepaid at Walmart with cash
Activate that SIM in a phone at a static location, not your home
This is sold to broker 1
Buy SIM from normal provider using your CC
This data is sold to broker 2
Broker 2 asks broker 1 for into on person
Broker 1 has no discrete match due to lack of payment data