It was a useful tool to better verify identity vs relying solely on email addresses, which were substantially easier to create at the time. Kinda like SSNs tho

It was a useful tool to better verify identity vs relying solely on email addresses, which were substantially easier to create at the time. Kinda like SSNs though, I think it's way past the point when a better designed system should have been developed. Sadly, that costs a lot of money.