Facebook: Phone Numbers, AKA You Have Got to be Fucking Kidding Me

[Coconut Cashmere]

First off, I'm going to admit that I have multiple Facebook accounts; seven of them. Why? Because I don't want to both other people with stupid game shit--I'd rather just jump between accounts and do it myself, thanks. I have only friended people who are looking for 'game' friends, and even then only on one account. Please note that it has been at least eight months since I sent any friend requests at all, or even contacted anyone via FB. I do not post messages other than specific, game-related content.

Image my surprise when in the middle of my dicking around, I log off and go to log onto another account. Surprise! FB tells me that I need to enter a unique phone number and then receive "a code that you'll be able to enter on Facebook to verify your account". NEED to; there is no opt out whatsoever. No phone number, no FB.

I immediately hit up Google and find not a whole hell of a lot. Pretty much just one thread that relates to this specific situation instead of other FB phone number related issues. Curiously, I note this thread started September of last year. [www.dslreports.com/forum/r26327559-Facebook-now-wants-your-personal-phone-number.]

Anyway, I try the usual suggestions; make sure it's actually FB (it is), clear cache, clear cookies, restart the browser. Nothin'. I had tried two of the accounts with the same results. Curious, I go and check all of them. Four are in a state of what I will call 'total bullshit'. No phone, no access. One--the one with which a few dozen people were friended--has an option to identify them by pictures they're tagged in. I call this 'bullshit', because a- I don't really know these people, but mostly because b- most of the pictures are of game characters or compilations so tiny I can't see the damn picture I need to.

Lastly, two of them are perfectly fine. Thankfully, my 'main' or 'real' FB is one of them. The other is a secondary mule.

It would be one thing if they were all like this, but...what the christ, Facebook? More importantly, where is the internet shitstorm over this??

So, discuss. Somehow.

 

[Nouw]

With smartphones on the rise and more and more teens using Facebook, adding phones for disturbing more of your private life security was only inevitable. Reminds me, I need to make another Facebook.

 

[Zantos]

It's probably because their terms state that you can only have one personal profile, instead of like, 7. They've probably flagged it as a possible breach of service and the phone thing is their standard way of sorting it. You could probably e-mail them and say you want to verify some other way, but since you are breaking their terms it's probably not going to fly too well.

 

[Coconut Cashmere]

Zantos, I understand that. However, the circumstances around it are kind of baffling to me. It would be one thing if they were all like this, but there's two that aren't. Why are those two not flagged, but the other five are? And why only now(ish), at about 6:30 PM Central? It wasn't as if I did something radically different; I just played Pet Society on each account. I'm certainly not doing anything malicious; why bother with me, instead of other problems the site has?

There are also, in that thread, people who do not have multiple accounts that are encountering this. Maybe they just got lucky with me, and hit who they intended to.

However, I am far more curious as to where the unbridled fury is over this. This has been occurring over the last six months...why hasn't anyone heard about it?

 

[FalloutJack]

However, I am far more curious as to where the unbridled fury is over this. This has been occurring over the last six months...why hasn't anyone heard about it?

At a guess, I would say complacency. I don't use facebook, but I'm guessing that not everybody is gung-ho about reacting harshly to stuff like this. Mind you, your irritations are not unreasonable. There are many things in the internet that are unacceptable, that the folks in charge just ignore like they don't seem to care.