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Bluesky didn't require phone numbers back when it was invite only, and then there was a period of time after they allowed everyone to create accounts where user

Bluesky didn't require phone numbers back when it was invite only, and then there was a period of time after they allowed everyone to create accounts where users need a phone number to verify. That requirement might have been replaced by a captcha according to: https://github.com/bluesky-social/social-app/issues/2762 https://github.com/bluesky-social/social-app/issues/2762 But I didn't try to create an account recently, maybe they went back to requiring phone numbers.

deltoidmaximus 21d ago
Lots of services demand your phone number after the fact now, hoping to use the sunk cost fallacy to extort it out of you when you're in a hurry. Walmart recently deleted my phone number from my account for vague reasons but most likely because another account had the same number. That other account is my wife and the number is our VoIP line. I have no desire to interact with walmart through my cell phone so I didn't give it to them. So I used a google voice number, which is not my number, to get back in. Then they just bought my actual cell number from my credit card company and autopopulated the field. Jokes on me!
- cassepipe 21d ago
  But I don't think that's the case for Bluesky
  - hparadiz 21d ago
    It's because of spam. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. Ironically AI could fix this when trivial spam detection inference becomes cheap enough to throw away on every upload.
    - inigyou 21d ago
      AI would classify anything disagreeing with the government as spam. For example right now it would classify anything opposing Israel as spam.
      - hparadiz 21d ago
        Are you sure that's not just people getting fed up with you and hitting the mute button? I just mute those people.
        inigyou 20d ago
        That trains the AI
      - account42 21d ago
        Yes and most importantly when the black box flags something as spam there will be no appeal.
- aucisson_masque 21d ago
  > Then they just bought my actual cell number from my credit card company Holy moly, don't you have any law at all to protect people's privacy ?
  - fcarraldo 21d ago
    in the US? no.
  - queenkjuul 18d ago
    If you think Walmart buying your digital info is bad, get this: cops and feds are allowed to buy it, too

deltoidmaximus 21d ago

Lots of services demand your phone number after the fact now, hoping to use the sunk cost fallacy to extort it out of you when you're in a hurry. Walmart recently deleted my phone number from my account for vague reasons but most likely because another account had the same number. That other account is my wife and the number is our VoIP line. I have no desire to interact with walmart through my cell phone so I didn't give it to them. So I used a google voice number, which is not my number, to get back in. Then they just bought my actual cell number from my credit card company and autopopulated the field. Jokes on me!

cassepipe 21d ago
But I don't think that's the case for Bluesky
- hparadiz 21d ago
  It's because of spam. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. Ironically AI could fix this when trivial spam detection inference becomes cheap enough to throw away on every upload.
  - inigyou 21d ago
    AI would classify anything disagreeing with the government as spam. For example right now it would classify anything opposing Israel as spam.
    - hparadiz 21d ago
      Are you sure that's not just people getting fed up with you and hitting the mute button? I just mute those people.
      - inigyou 20d ago
        That trains the AI
    - account42 21d ago
      Yes and most importantly when the black box flags something as spam there will be no appeal.
aucisson_masque 21d ago
> Then they just bought my actual cell number from my credit card company Holy moly, don't you have any law at all to protect people's privacy ?
- fcarraldo 21d ago
  in the US? no.
- queenkjuul 18d ago
  If you think Walmart buying your digital info is bad, get this: cops and feds are allowed to buy it, too