Facebook’s popularity began to decline in early 2016, as users left in response to data breaches, spamming, and other issues. In August 2019, 533 million user profiles from 106 countries were leaked onto a public database. This data included all relevant personal information. ..

Facebook security concerns have forced many people to either delete their accounts or use fake numbers for Facebook verification.

Facebook allows only one account per mobile number, so for the creation of business accounts, informative or edutainment pages, community pages, or any other kind of account on Facebook, it becomes difficult for users to keep them separate from their accounts.

Fake phone numbers are a key part of the job-finding process. They allow users to remain anonymous and avoid revealing their personal contact information. There are various substitutes for fake phone numbers, such as using a burner phone, burner phone number apps, e-sim, virtual phone number, virtual sim, or SMS verification sites. These apps and services provide substitute phone numbers for the users without the need to possess a physical sim card on which the person can receive OTPs or notifications regarding the registration and later on can be discarded once the job is done.

Web and internet applications that are designed to help people keep their online activities private and anonymous are becoming increasingly popular. These services, which can be free or paid, vary in their features, but all of them provide a way for users to protect their privacy. ..

Some of the few Apps for fake phone numbers –

There are various drawbacks to using fake phone numbers on social media platforms like Facebook. These include the fact that they can hamper Facebook’s privacy policy, and that they can be used by fraudsters to harm people online. They also contravene cyber etiquette. Fake identities or anonymity are part of cybercrime, which is covered under India’s Information Technology Act. If someone is found guilty of using a fake identity or anonymity on a social media platform, they could be charged with a crime. Anonymous accounts can also be abusive and damaging to other genuine users, which can distort the platform’s image. ..

The use of fake numbers can lead to an increase in fraudulent accounts, duplicate accounts, or misclassified accounts. According to official Facebook data, approximately 4.3 percent of the total Monthly Active Users are undesirable accounts. Such accounts violate the terms and conditions of Facebook Community Standards.