I’m reflecting on the recent Optus hack today as I wonder what to do with my phone number I’ve had for 20 odd years.

So much of modern society needs a phone number to work and to identify us.

New services register with a phone number and text message verification code, trusting that only you would have your phone number or SIM card.

When I turn off my Australian SIM card in Mexico iMessage warns me the clock has started.

It’s kind of ridiculous that something as fragile as a phone number is the backbone of identity.

I think do Dave Winer’s ten year old blog post proposing DNS as a form of ID, but I feel like that would exclude so many normies.

Funnily enough, in many parts of Mexico the police will take your number plate or drivers license back to the police station as that’s the closest the national identity systems don’t really exist here.

How are we supposed to verify who we are? Maybe a blue tick will help?