The 10-Digit Problem

Our phone numbers have become our identifiers online. That’s dangerous. But what can we do about it?

In 2010, Dutch developers built a website called ‘PleaseRobMe.com’. The idea was so simple, they had it up and running in four hours. It was also sensational, because by tapping residents’ location data from Twitter – now X – and Foursquare, Please Rob Me could point out houses that were ripe for burgling. Of course, its aim was not to assist burglars but to demonstrate the dangers of oversharing online. It came months after then Mashable CEO Pete Cashmore famously declared: “Privacy is Dead”. But privacy had been dying a long time already. In 1999, Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy had described it as a “red herring”.

If the internet, and our phones and apps, have left us with no place to hide, why do we still care about privacy? Why does insurance regulator Irdai flag dark patterns in insurance sales, and where’s the need for WhatsApp to introduce usernames, to mask our phone numbers, although that move’s under govt review now? There are good reasons. One, privacy is a fundamental need, which is why it’s recognised as a fundamental right. Two, just because our privacy has been compromised so far, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t defend it anymore. Yes, in a world full of cameras and online surveillance, it’s hard to be invisible, but good online hygiene can at least shield us from bad actors.

Even if you don’t care about your photos and videos circulating among strangers, modified and misused with AI, there’s one aspect of your identity that you need to lock down. It’s your phone number. It was never intended to be your identifier, but the world over, phone numbers got seeded into bank records, public utility records, tax records, and then every subscription. Changing phone numbers became too cumbersome, so people got locked into them. And now, you are your number. But the problem is, your phone number is not only your identifier but also your authenticator, thanks to those OTPs. It’s like having the same username and password.

If you lose control of your phone, whether physically, or via SIM fraud, your life can turn upside down. And SIM fraud happens. Your number is part of so many databases – from shops to OTT platforms – that it has certainly been leaked many times. So, being careful with the information you share, especially phone numbers, is crucial. But strict data protection rules for intermediaries are equally important. Govt might eventually not allow WhatsApp usernames, but it has to find ways to deal with the problem of dark patterns.

https://www.vox.com/recode/22351108/dark-patterns-ui-web-design-privacy

https://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/12/13/end.of.privacy.intro/

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