Blizzard Backtracks on Poor Shaming SMS Requirement for Overwatch
Anonymous writes:
After a huge backlash Blizzard reversed its decision to require a phone number to play Overwatch 2 - but only for existing accounts. New accounts still require it. Blizzard announced that it would be removing SMS Protect for Overwatch 1 players, but keeping the restriction for new Overwatch 2 accounts.
SMS Protect requires players to link their Overwatch accounts to a non-prepaid phone number, which excludes a large population who cannot afford cellphone plans. The intent behind this system is to cut back on "smurfing," a term used to identify high-skill, high-rank players who create new accounts to beat up on newer players. The move was seen to be equivalent to Google requiring an active phone service to "prevent spamming".
History has shown that this type of two factor authentication does not deliver the outcome desired. Users who want to use and abuse systems will just get a new phone number.
At a first (very brief) glance it might have seemed like a 'good idea' - but it obviously isn't. What other practices have you seen creeping into people's lives where technology (perhaps unintentionally) appears to be disadvantaging a specific group of people?
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