> you have one of those private, encrypted phone numbers that prevents unauthorized usage? Get over yourself, it's public information.

Is it?

If I find out your phone number, "stuff4ben", then I know who "stuff4ben" really is.

People have been missing this for a LONG time now. Phone numbers are the unique identifier, especially with portability.

You can use 50 different usernames across 50 different sites but with that phone number, I know they are all you.

Which I can then link up to the 1,000 other sites you use those 50 usernames on without providing your phone number, and it's still likely you.

The NSA's database must be very interesting out at the Utah Data Center. This is how it all works, because you can mask your IP address using Tor but you can't mask any of that unless you've taken very careful steps along the entire history of your internet usage, from the start.