JakartaPost-Dec 1
Recycling phone numbers is common practice in Indonesia but has resulted in unintended leaks and misuse of the previous users’ private data. Have you ever received a message or phone call from a stranger wanting to get in touch with someone with the exact same number as yours? While this might seem like a simple misunderstanding, it actually showcases the fragility of all the data that is attached to a particular phone number. With the advent of smartphones, as well as websites and apps requiring data to connect, this becomes an increasingly worrying issue. Communications and Information Ministerial Regulation No.14/2018 states that a phone number can be reactivated as a new number 60 days after the expiration date – a short time frame to delete all or any of the data attached to a certain phone number. Damage and problems caused by recycled numbers include identity theft and email hacking. Like most websites that require registration, e-commerce sites often require users to register both their data and their phone number, linking the two. For many, the process of untangling the number-data connection with the many websites they’ve registered on — at least the ones they can remember — is a near-impossible task. Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/culture/2021/12/01/exposed-by-the-past-indonesias-phone-number-recycling-may-result-in-data-leaks.html
