FlyByWire discord now requires a phone number?!

[Sigwolf 222]

I fired up discord for the first time in a few months and noticed right away that the FlyByWire server was no longer on my list (it was previously at the top).  I had read and posted to it without incident prior to that, and every other server I've participated in was still there, just no FBW.  I re-added it manually, and now it will not allow me to post without verifying a phone number.

Why on earth would entering personal information like a phone number be required just to post on a discord server?

[FrankT 12]

Just use 202-456-1414 .. it's the WH switchboard

[flyinion 280]

Are you sure it's the FBW discord and not just Discord in general applying more security?  I've never seen that, but I have 2FA turned on for Discord in general.

[Zangoose 1,631]

The phone number is set on your Discord profile rather than sent to FlybyWire. I think servers can enable checks to see if members have like a verified email address etc etc. They have probably done it to reduce spammers or maybe for another reason.

It's a bit like when you sign up for a new twitter account, they typically ask for a phone number to verify the account these days. 

[Sigwolf 222]

6 hours ago, flyinion said:

Are you sure it's the FBW discord and not just Discord in general applying more security?  I've never seen that, but I have 2FA turned on for Discord in general.

Considering I follow 10 other servers, and I can post to every one of them, it sure seems to be the FBW discord.  It was very odd that it was dumped from my server list when every other one I use remained.  As soon as I click on the FBW server a huge banner fills the entire top of the app that says "You must complete a few more steps before you can start talking on this server."  Those steps being giving them a phone number and responding to a text.  There is an equally obnoxious banner at the bottom of the screen where the text entry field should be with a continuously waving hand and a line of text that says "You must complete a few mores steps before you can talk."

Selecting any other server makes both these messages go away, and I can post normally.  If I go back to the FBW server, they're back, so it sure doesn't seem to be just a Discord issue.

Edited April 14, 2021 by Sigwolf

[ckyliu 1,749]

A Discord server admin can specify they require anyone using their server to be verified with Discord, which is done by means of a mobile phone number stored with Discord. I don't think that the server admins get to see your phone number. Verification is done to reduce problematic users continually creating new e-mail addresses and Discord accounts to circumvent bans etc.

Edited April 14, 2021 by ckyliu

[Tuskin38 6,520]

40 minutes ago, ckyliu said:

I don't think that the server admins get to see your phone number.

You’re correct.

[Sigwolf 222]

43 minutes ago, ckyliu said:

A Discord server admin can specify they require anyone using their server to be verified with Discord, which is done by means of a mobile phone number stored with Discord. I don't think that the server admins get to see your phone number. Verification is done to reduce problematic users continually creating new e-mail addresses and Discord accounts to circumvent bans etc.

That's all well and good, except that Discord doesn't need to know my phone number, either.  It pretty much established that no internet entity, from stores to social media to banks, is capable of actually securing personal information, so I am only willing to provide the bare minimum.  They have my email address, that I've used for 25 years, with no bans associated with it on Discord or any other internet service.  If that's not enough, and they want to go nuclear and lock out users that haven't actually done anything wrong, that's their choice.  BTW, I also enabled 2FA, but that's not good enough for the FBW server... they're still requiring a phone number.  It's a shame, because I enjoyed that server, but so be it.  I guess I'll look here for any further FBW info.

[ckyliu 1,749]

@Sigwolf Unfortunately that's the way it so often goes, the few spoiling it for the many. But if you've got banned users repeatedly logging back in with new accounts, what else can realistically be done? Same reason we have airport security and can't fly with nail clippers, even flight deck crew! Of course it will inconvenience a lot of innocent people and put some off entirely, but the alternative is mayhem. I don't want to give my phone number to Discord either, so I don't participate in servers that require verification.

Edited April 14, 2021 by ckyliu

[Sigwolf 222]

4 minutes ago, ckyliu said:

@Sigwolf Unfortunately that's the way it so often goes, the few spoiling it for the many. But if you've got banned users repeatedly logging in with new accounts, what else can realistically you do? Same reason we have airport security and can't fly with nail clippers, even flight deck crew! Of course it will inconvenience a lot of innocent people and put some off entirely, but the alternative is mayhem.

That might be a more reasonable explanation if it was a Discord-wide policy, but it isn't.  The ten other servers I participate on have no such requirement, yet continue to function.  This includes Working Title, SimToolKitPro, NeoFly, and even the official MSFS server.  None of them require a phone number to post.  It was a choice made by someone at FBW, and I think it is an unfortunate one.  Nothing I can do about it, I just think it's a shame.

[IcemanFBW 721]

This is to prevent spam, as we have over 34,000 users on our Discord server, and that number is constantly growing. We're all volunteers working in our free time (not just the developers but the moderators as well), and don't have the time to put up with spammers and repeat offenders constantly creating new accounts. Requiring your Discord account to have a registered phone number is our best tool to combat this, as it is significantly more effort for people to create multiple accounts with this requirement in place.

 

This is an unfortunate side effect of maintaining a large server. As other users have said, we do not even get to see your phone number at all - this is all handled through Discord itself. I personally recommend linking a phone number regardless, for two-factor authentication, as it is a good way to secure your account from ever being hacked.

[WestAir 2,522]

While I do not connect my phone number to discord, and therefore have never been able to post in the FBW discord, I will also stand behind the call to do so.

Last week my facebook account was hacked. The hackers changed my registered e-mail address and password and used it as a spam-hub for an hour before I could get it shut down. I don't have 2 step verification, and so I lost out on a 14 year old account and the only way to reach friends from other chapters of my life.

Hackers, bots, and spammers are the harsh reality of an anonymous network like the internet. As the saying goes, it's best to close the barn door before the animals leave.

[Sigwolf 222]

7 minutes ago, IcemanFBW said:

I personally recommend linking a phone number regardless, for two-factor authentication, as it is a good way to secure your account from ever being hacked.

These are entirely separate issues, as a phone number on your Discord account is not necessary for two-factor authentication.  Providing personal information like a phone number to various web sites/services is the exact opposite of securing your accounts.

[Sigwolf 222]

1 minute ago, WestAir said:

While I do not connect my phone number to discord, and therefore have never been able to post in the FBW discord, I will also stand behind the call to do so.

Last week my facebook account was hacked. The hackers changed my registered e-mail address and password and used it as a spam-hub for an hour before I could get it shut down. I don't have 2 step verification, and so I lost out on a 14 year old account and the only way to reach friends from other chapters of my life.

Hackers, bots, and spammers are the harsh reality of an anonymous network like the internet. As the saying goes, it's best to close the barn door before the animals leave.

Just as I just posted to Iceman, you seem to be confusing issues here.  Providing your phone number does nothing to protect your account.  It puts your personal information into the wild where it can be hacked and stolen, and therefore used to gain access to any number of other sources of information.  The only form of two-factor authentication that requires you to enter your phone number is SMS authentication, which has long been regarded as the least secure 2FA you can use.  I use 2FA with discord through a separate authenticator app that encrypts the verification without exposing your information.

Two-factor authentication is important to protect your online accounts.  Providing your phone number is not necessary for that, and really just removes some of that security,

[WestAir 2,522]

4 minutes ago, Sigwolf said:

Just as I just posted to Iceman, you seem to be confusing issues here.  Providing your phone number does nothing to protect your account.  It puts your personal information into the wild where it can be hacked and stolen, and therefore used to gain access to any number of other sources of information.  The only form of two-factor authentication that requires you to enter your phone number is SMS authentication, which has long been regarded as the least secure 2FA you can use.  I use 2FA with discord through a separate authenticator app that encrypts the verification without exposing your information.

Two-factor authentication is important to protect your online accounts.  Providing your phone number is not necessary for that, and really just removes some of that security,

Can FBW change the 2FA from cell phone to any other method Discord provides as 2FA?

Edited April 14, 2021 by WestAir