Try being in one of the many countries where whatsapp is the only path to get service from companies (banks, utilities, etc).

Even better, try living a modern life as a tourist abroad without a phone number. You can’t get transportation, even public (and there is no physical payment option), you can’t order delivery, you can’t pay with credit cards online because you need to auth with sms. Everything requires an account and everything requires sms.

It’s not just about privacy of your personal texts. People are putting entire societies in the hands of tech/telecom and demanding we identify through unsecure methods. Having a smartphone with a phone number and whatever is the main local app is now mandatory. Single point of failure everywhere.

stop sharing your library with strangers and kick your brother’s ass when he gets you banned

when you play a game that multiple people have, you can choose which copy is being used. The owner of that copy and the one playing get banned