Phone number identification: Facebook subscribers trapped
Facebook users have something to be upset about.
To access their profile, Facebook has encouraged them to switch to multifactor authentication with their phone number.
Not only can anyone get an overview of their profile, but Facebook offers them no other way out.
All computer security experts will tell you, the use of the phone number to secure personal data, regardless of the platform, is strongly discouraged, even if it is integrated with a multi-factor authentication system.
The reason is simple, any hacker with a number directory can pick up data using the ten-digit format of phone numbers.
Or, again, perform a swap of SIM cards to impersonate a cellular client and infiltrate other accounts.
Last year, the Facebook company was forced to admit that after months of pushing its subscribers to activate multifactor authentication by registering their phone number, it also used these numbers to target them with advertisements.
In addition, some users have discovered that the default setting of Facebook allows everyone, with or without an account, to search for a user profile based on the same phone number previously added to their account.
Limited options
This criticism on the use of phone numbers was triggered today by a tweet of Jeremy Burge, taken by several media, which denounces the collection by Facebook numbers.
A number that becomes, in spite of us, a unique identifier to identify us on each application of the Facebook group.
Even if you hide your phone number on your profile, it's possible to get a preview of it as this help page on Facebook shows . A search by number that is also possible in Messenger .
In our profile settings, Facebook does not allow us to completely hide our number, but offers only three options: to everyone (default), friends of friends or friends only.
WHERE ARE YOUR NUMBERS?
In your Facebook account, you will find the two locations of your phone number:
Settings> Privacy> How others can find you and contact you> Who can find you using the phone number you provided?
Settings> Mobile
That said, removing your mobile number will immediately disable Facebook's two-factor authentication.
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