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.

Hive On Board is a FREE way to sign up for a new Hive account.

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.