Only thing I can figure is get another throw away phone number and email address just for the job search, and set them both to forward to your main phone and email.
Sucks but I dont think there is any realistic way to opt out and still job search
this post was submitted on 10 Jul 2026
83 points (100.0% liked)
Privacy
49910 readers
866 users here now
A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.
Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.
In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.
Some Rules
- Posting a link to a website containing tracking isn't great, if contents of the website are behind a paywall maybe copy them into the post
- Don't promote proprietary software
- Try to keep things on topic
- If you have a question, please try searching for previous discussions, maybe it has already been answered
- Reposts are fine, but should have at least a couple of weeks in between so that the post can reach a new audience
- Be nice :)
Related communities
much thanks to @gary_host_laptop for the logo design :)
founded 6 years ago
MODERATORS
Addy.io is great for creating email aliases, but I don't know a simple way to do the same for phone numbers.
Firefox Relay service does aliases for emails and you get a phone mask too. Its a subscription service though at least to get the phone mask.
i have a separate phone and email just for applying for jobs, and that's p much the only way i know how to deal with the spam, since it's at least diverted away from my real contact details.
but unfortch, i can't exactly give out my CV with my name and employers redacted, as much as i'd like to, hah!
General strike
Can't strike while unemployed.
You can buy less and protest
Second phone, second email.
Some ppl use VOIP services and you can temp get a spare # during job searches. Even more, the better VOIP co's let you manage powerful blocklists. For numbers or whole ranges. You can block, you can send to a mailbox, you can even play the 3-tone number-is-disconnected tones. It helps to fight spam.
I don't think we will ever see throwaway phone #'s as common as throaway email tho. Here in north america, our numbers are xxx-xxx-xxxx, so the total pool of them is big but not that big. Many are not even doled out! Like there are no 911-xxx-xxx numbers. That's just one example, a lot of the whole space cannot be used. It isn't as big as it looks. Plus, USA shares the number pool with Canada and some of the Carribean. We don't need intl dial codes to call each other. Which is cool! But it means the pool stretches even further.
Whereas, email is basically infinite.
Applying for jobs inherently involves the processing of your personal information. They need your legal name, your employment history, your contact information, etc. to determine if you're a good match. When you're applying online, this data must be transmitted and stored.
You can reduce your footprint by applying directly using email or the phone, even by making a job-applications-only email/VoIP like you mention. These services also require personal information for regularity purposes and spam/abuse prevention.
Not sure if they do need your legal name, I know loads of people use a shorter version of their name use that just fine.
If you get the job then you probably do need to tell then, but just applying? Anything works as long as it looks plausible.
Problem is that the thrid party that runs the application site wants your info, not just the employer.
Destroying America
and the global capitalist system they put in place!
yesss, america is just a starting point for a change that needs to be global
America's working on it.
Emails you can use email aliases ( addy.io, Firefox relay, port87, simplelogin, .... ).
I have no solution for a phone. You could get an extra sim purely for this and just let it expire ( and unplug it ) when you've got a job?
Beware that if you use paid service you might lose all these aliases once you can't pay anymore or it shuts down. Happened to me once, lost many accounts with 2FA.
Fair point :). Can also create a throwaway just for applying and ignore it afterwards.
You can also use your own domain in which case you can just migrate to a new provider ( unless you lose your domain )
I think you can only use one SIM at a time. I should see if there is a way to use both.
I really wanted to get a union spot as a mail carrier but when I applied they wanted a selective service number which I don’t have (based younger me never did that) and they also wanted medical records and a copy of my lease n shit and my living situation is awesome but I don’t exactly have a lease and yeah…
So I’m still a cook. I so love the food tho, and hey at least Toast © has all my info I’m sure this private company has all my data safe& sound, unlike DRM that had a data breach with my info even tho I only worked for their company for like 4 days! I have so much trust in these companies! :D
That's ridiculous. Did they even make you a job offer, or were they expecting copies of medical records and leases from everyone who applied?
No but it was posted publicly so I think that technically legally means it’s fair enough. I believe the latter is correct, you can’t finish the application without renters history or medical records, I think the selective service one was technically optional i.e you could finish without entering it but ya. One of the main & probably the largest federal mail carrier, if I’m not allowed to say which company I don’t know
Asking for medical records would get you sued in the US.
https://about.usps.com/handbooks/el312/el312c5_031.htm
https://about.usps.com/handbooks/el312/el312c5_032.htm
That’s just what I remember from applying, and this page seems to have the reasoning why. The wording even here is very unnecessarily complicated to me tbh and the application was also unnecessarily complicated and demanding, no idea why they’d need to see my lease as well, giant companies can do anything they want. What, am I gonna sue USPS?
They can get med info if needed for the job. I've had to do it for very specific functions. Since driving mail around is demanding and important, I could see why they might need to know if you are about to have a heart attack or if you have serious mental health issues.
Yeah I get it to some degree I was just a little disappointed and I didn’t expect them to need so much information before I was even offered a job. It’s no wonder they are short staffed.
When it comes to email I think you should consider what the biggest downside is. Big Tech invading your privacy or you standing out in a data breach because you use a privacy focused email and MAYBE looking suspicious to your employer because you use a weird email.
I'd argue they are worth less to advertise to, since they are so privacy focussed. What's to gain from an advertiser's standpoint?
You get "invalid email address" on a lot of disposable email addresses, too.
For email, I use Port87. I have a label specifically for job applications, and when I’m done (get hired), I block that label.
Well, the good news is, there are no calls, because your application isn't going to see a human in most cases.
/s
Jmp.chat they literally require zero info from you. If you're paranoid, use crypto or a gift card.
I have my phone set to silence unknown callers, if it’s a job and they are for some reason not emailing me then they’ll leave a message.