A google voice number is what I've been using since 2011 as my phone number along with a data only plan, this is very frustrating to me. It's let me have the same number inside and outside of the US when traveling and I appreciated that.

Google Voice actually doesn't let you get new numbers that easily and I think that this is a really helpful change to make.

I've had several very poor members of my community that do not have any phone at all and use Google Voice as their only communication method for calls and texts that I have had to tell, I am so sorry but I simply need to protect my community from hate raids and the like too much to not turn on the safety measures I can. I have changed some settings to be more lax, but sadly I cannot make them all lax ENOUGH to get everyone who is too poor to own a cell phone. But I also know what it's like. When I was younger I was too poor to own a cell phone for a while when I was barely surviving. And there's no reason why those people don't deserve to get to still feel a sense of community, be a part of spaces, etc.

Worst case making some kind of "delay" on allowing a Google Voice or other VoIP-based phone number be accepted like you have to set it and not change it for 6 months.

I haven't had a cell phone with a phone number in a decade-plus since getting a Google Voice back when it was still called Grand Central. Haven't changed that number in that entire time, my cell phone just gets data-only SIM plans since I only use it for light browsing and GPS away from home.

Using textnow (with subscription) in order to verify your phone number.

I use Google Voice for all my mobile needs. I give it out to every service that asks for my mobile number, and then, if they give it out to spammers, I can easily filter them out.

But I can't use my GV number for Twitch - it reports "only mobile phone numbers may be used".

I do not give out the number that goes to my SIM card. It's not necessarily going to be the same number if I switch providers, and literally every text and call I get through it and not GV is spam, because I never give it out.

Since people are starting to use "verified accounts only" on their chats, this has suddenly gone from "that's annoying" to "this is preventing me from participating in communities". And I don't think the streamers are wrong for using the filter, because I've watched what happens if they don't, so I'm not going to try and convince them to change it.

Perhaps GV allows you to get new numbers too easily, and all the other services I've used it with such as [checks notes] Amazon Web Services are inundated with people using fake GV numbers.

But I don't think that's the case, presently.