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?
A bit out there, but I plan on doing this soon:
I already use Matrix bridges for Signal, Discord, IRC, etc, so this means the number is never tied to my location, but I can use it for things like banking 2FA.
You should publish a guide once you do it. That sounds pretty interesting.
I could, but honestly the guides for Matrix and then for the mautrix (not a typo) bridges are pretty good if you click through to them: https://matrix.org/ecosystem/bridges/sms/
Umm, how does this protect your privacy?
SMS messages don’t include your location. The cellphone towers know your location. Getting a transmission from sms to matrix means it’s going from old phone over the Internet to a cell tower to your real phone/or cellular enabled laptop.
The provider of the SIM on the old phone who provides the phone number, and data brokers associated with them, will never be able to associate that number with my actual location, because the old phone will be in a static location.
The provider of the SIM in my main phone will have a number that is never used, and it’s location can never be tied to the number that is actually used because the old phone relays VI’s matrix.
Is it better than avoiding SMS altogether? No. Does it obfuscate? Yes.
I also plan on having VNC on the old phone for running banking apps that GrapheneOS may not support in the future.
That’s, not defeating anything.
Your actual location is still being sold. They weren’t tracking you through sms in the first place. The phone company doesn’t need you to make phone calls to know where you are.
Data brokers share data. All that changes is that you are now worth €0.015 vs €0.010.
Your plan is a lot more effective if you just ask for paper statements from your bank and keep your cellphone at home. Or just turn off your cellphone and check for messages and VM like the ancients used to do on occasion.
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).
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.
OK, let’s do this step by step. We’re going to use a prepaid SIM like op mentions:
Data isn’t some silo locked up. They have data sharing agreements allowing them to look at each others data and pay for transfers of useful information. Their profit comes from making initial collection agreements with the phone companies/banks/stores giving them sole access to raw data.
At the end of the day OP wants to do all of this for his bank’s 2fa codes. The bank that knows who he is and where he lives due to know your customer laws.
Just disable internet banking, paper statements, stops all data from being made in first place.
Cash only phones only work from a privacy perspective if they are your single phone. As a secondary phone they’re just another number on your data broker profile.
“Not your home”.
And nope again, OP did not mention banks.