Is Deactivating Your Phone Number Equivalent to Selling Yourself? How to Protect Your Assets & Privacy?

Is Deactivating Your Phone Number Equivalent to Selling Yourself? How to Protect Your Assets & Privacy?In today's technologically advanced society, it feels like we live in a "transparent" world. However, seemingly insignificant details in our daily lives can put us at risk

Is Deactivating Your Phone Number Equivalent to Selling Yourself? How to Protect Your Assets & Privacy?

In today's technologically advanced society, it feels like we live in a "transparent" world. However, seemingly insignificant details in our daily lives can put us at risk. A simple phone card, for instance, could lead to unexpected losses. Recently, CCTV's "News Across the Horizon" program revealed a new form of doxing Deactivating your phone number is equivalent to selling yourself. What is this all about?

CCTV Exposes a Serious Issue: Take It Seriously

With the rapid development of the internet, while it brings convenience to our lives, it also poses many hidden risks. As the internet continues to evolve, online payment has become the dominant payment method. Online shopping, online learning, online work, and online bill payments are commonplace. Moreover, many city services are available online. With the growth of these services, numerous apps have emerged, requiring registration to access them. Therefore, our mobile phone cards are linked to countless apps. Some of these apps are crucial, like WeChat, Alipay, and banking applications. In essence, our phone numbers are incredibly vital today. Even without a password, you can log into various apps using a verification code sent to your phone. This approach was initially intended to make things easier for consumers, but it can also open the door to significant risks.

Recently, the topic "Deactivating your phone number is equivalent to selling yourself" has quickly climbed the trending charts, sparking widespread discussion. A police officer from Tongling City, Anhui Province, released a video explaining the potential dangers of deactivating your phone number without unbinding all associated accounts.

The officer pointed out in the video that simply going to the mobile service center to deactivate your phone number means that this number will eventually be re-released back into the market. However, if you haven't unlinked all the accounts tied to this number, the next person who gets your number might access your various apps using the phone verification code. This includes apps like WeChat and Alipay, potentially leading to unforeseen consequences.

Your Information Could Be Recycled After Deactivating Your Phone Number

This police officer's informative video was also covered by CCTV's "News Across the Horizon" program, reminding the public to pay close attention to this issue. Many netizens responded that they have also encountered similar situations in their daily lives. The previous owner not deactivating or unbinding accounts with certain apps has prevented the new owner from using them correctly.

This phenomenon arises primarily due to the "re-issuance" of phone numbers by telecom operators.

What is "Re-Issuance"?

In today's technologically advanced society, phone numbers have become a "resource," and with the increasing number of users, this "resource" is limited. Therefore, unused phone numbers are eventually reclaimed by telecom operators and re-released back into the market. The same applies to numbers deactivated by users at service centers.

However, deactivated phone numbers undergo a 90-day "freeze period". During this period, the number is not re-released, and there's a chance to recover it. However, once this 90-day period expires, the number is re-issued. The exact time this happens isn't fixed.

Both mobile and telecom operators confirm that numbers exceeding the "freeze period" are indeed re-released back into the market. They also acknowledge the possibility of the new owner accessing previous apps using verification codes.

Can the New Owner See My Purchase History?

This practice raises concerns about whether the new owner can access previous purchase or payment history. Regarding this, service center personnel confirmed that this shouldn't be a concern. The new owner cannot access information from the deactivated phone card.

Before Deactivating Your Phone Number, Here's What You Need to Do

While understanding the importance of unbinding, many netizens express uncertainty about how to do so, or they simply forget about all the accounts tied to their old phone numbers over time.

How Can You Check How Many Accounts Are Linked to Your Phone Card and How to Unbind Them?

Telecom operators now offer the functionality to check linked information. You can use the following methods:

• WeChat Official Account: Access the "Work Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Notice," "China Institute of Information and Communications Technology," or "Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Anti-Fraud Team" WeChat official accounts. Click on "One-Stop Verification" under "Government Services." Follow the instructions on the page, and you will receive the information via SMS within 48 hours.

• Alipay: On Alipay, search for the "One-Stop Verification" mini-program to access your linked information. Currently, One-Stop Verification can display the linking status for 16 major apps.

• Directly Contact Your Telecom Operator: You can directly contact your telecom operator's customer service to inquire about accounts linked to your phone number.

Unbinding Tutorial!

Once you determine the accounts linked to your phone number, you can begin the unbinding process. The specific steps are as follows:

• Access the Corresponding App: Open the app you want to unbind, and locate the "Settings" or "Personal Center" section.

• Locate "Account & Security": In Settings, find the "Account & Security" or "Security Settings" option.

• Select "Phone Number": Within "Account & Security," find the "Phone Number" or "Linked Phone" option.

• Perform the Unbinding Operation: Click on the "Unbind" or "Change Phone Number" button, and follow the prompts provided by the app to complete the process.

Additional Things to Keep in Mind:

• Unbind Cloud Storage and Cloud Services Accounts Timely: Aside from common social media and payment apps, remember to unbind accounts for cloud storage and cloud services where you may have stored personal data and confidential information.

• Change Payment Passwords: It's advisable to change your payment passwords for apps like Alipay and WeChat before deactivating your phone number to prevent the new owner from using verification codes for unauthorized payments.

• Regularly Clean Up Phone Binding Information: By periodically checking and removing unnecessary phone bindings, you can minimize information leaks.

Conclusion

Deactivating a phone number may seem straightforward, but it involves significant risks. To safeguard your privacy and assets, take note of the following before deactivating your phone number:

1. Completely Unbind All Accounts: This includes WeChat, Alipay, bank cards, cloud storage, cloud services, etc., to prevent the new owner from misusing your information.

2. Change Passwords for Important Accounts: This includes payment passwords, email passwords, etc., to prevent the new owner from using verification codes to steal funds or engage in malicious activities.

3. Be Cautious When Purchasing Second-Hand Phones: When purchasing used phones, always inquire about whether the seller has deactivated their accounts and make appropriate security settings.

With the continuous advancement of internet technology, information security is becoming increasingly crucial. We all need to enhance our security awareness and take necessary measures to protect our privacy and assets.

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