PeakD does not collect anything. Hiveonboard is an external service that we integrate to offer free account creation.
Up to the users to pick the best one adjusting to their needs. This is the reason we offer multiple options ☺️
If the answer is to prevent abuse, that does not hold up. In all the years Steemit / Hive have been around that has never been necessary.
And it has been abused countless times 🤣
Yes, however the third party that is used for the SMS verification will be gathering data. It is just a given these days that this is being done because of the push to digital id us.
There's no such thing as a free lunch. It comes at a cost, that being ID'd.
Yes, it is the user's choice, but I'm surprised that you've offered that choice.