Google wants my phone number

[lxskllr]

You have worries about privacy... and use Yandex?

Woah, I'm not usually a paranoid or tin-foil hat type, but Yandex is probably best avoided as a non-Russian. I have zero trust for most Russian mega-corps, especially ones that can handle a ton of personal data. I very much bet they are more in bed with the Russian government than Google or the like with the US.

First it's exclusively for work mail, and secondly, Russia's got nothing on me. Putin isn't gonna come over and kick my ass, and I won't have FSB agents knocking on my door. They also aren't particularly friendly with the US. I'd get mail from DPRK if they offered it, and I could trust the network to stay up for 12 hours at a time :^D

 

[destrekor]

First it's exclusively for work mail, and secondly, Russia's got nothing on me. Putin isn't gonna come over and kick my ass, and I won't have FSB agents knocking on my door. They also aren't particularly friendly with the US. I'd get mail from DPRK if they offered it, and I could trust the network to stay up for 12 hours at a time :^D

State-sponsored hacks are a real concern within Russia. You might not think you are worried about the Russian government as a U.S. citizen, but you are actually a prime juicy target in the cyber-war market. Identity theft is one common route, but info and backdoors to get more info as one of many many data sources can help them compile to use against the U.S. government and, more likely, corporations.

 

[lxskllr]

State-sponsored hacks are a real concern within Russia. You might not think you are worried about the Russian government as a U.S. citizen, but you are actually a prime juicy target in the cyber-war market. Identity theft is one common route, but info and backdoors to get more info as one of many many data sources can help them compile to use against the U.S. government and, more likely, corporations.

They could simply ask. I'll start CCing Putin when I send grade sheets to a client, or forward him blueprints from my jobs. Maybe they can get someone to check comps for me :^D

 

[Red Squirrel]

When has Google ever sold data in a "malicious" manner?

There are lots of ways to get your email or phone number on a spam list, Google is not one of them.

I think it's pretty safe to assume that they do sell your info. It's pretty much their business model. Same with Facebook. And apparently, Microsoft too, considering all the data they collect in windows 10 by default.

 

[Humpy]

Google already knows your phone number. Asking you for it is just part of the experiment.

Google knows my phone number because they gave it to me.

 

[HeXen]

Hell all the phone solicitors have it anyway. You can opt out but they still call and I'll see caller id numbers like 000-0000? Those bastards harass both my work phone and personal one along with my home phone and I opted out for all of them.

But google? Nah, they don't call me, that's all I care about, I don't want to be annoyed but you're number's out there regardless. Don't see it as a big deal, helps protect my account.

 

[shimpster]

google likely already has ur phone number.
just wanting u to voluntarily give it to them.

 

[freeskier93]

I think it's pretty safe to assume that they do sell your info. It's pretty much their business model. Same with Facebook. And apparently, Microsoft too, considering all the data they collect in windows 10 by default.

https://privacy.google.com/how-ads-work.html

 

[1sikbITCH]

google likely already has ur phone number.
just wanting u to voluntarily give it to them.

See? it's a test. See who's gonna fall in line and who will need "special attention".

 

[Red Squirrel]

https://privacy.google.com/how-ads-work.html

I'm sure ISIS also tells those little girls that everything is going to be ok when they kidnap them.

You kinda have to take stuff like that with a grain of salt. Of course Google is going to say they don't sell your info. But even if they don't, the way they use it, and what they know, is still creepy as hell. I rather them not have it at all.

 

[zCypher]

It's 2-step authentication which is a good thing, and you can just avoid doing it if you're paranoid about giving your phone number. But if the issue is not trusting their intentions with your data, then it's all a moot point since they'd obviously already have it anyway from all the other ways it can be easily obtained.