does anyone know of an email service provider that doesn't require phone verification? I want to create a free simple email account, but the ones I have tried requires phone number verification.
Have you tried GMX? I don't recall needing phone verification when I created mine, although that was a while ago.
One of the last "simple" ones I knew was VFEmail, and they shut down a week or two ago There is one that's still around, but Wilders' censorship bot won't let me write the name. In ROT13, it's pbpx.yv Ironically enough, your best option may be via Tor browser. Last I checked, neither ProtonMail nor Tutanota required verification for accounts created via Tor.
@mirimir actually, neither proton nor tutanota requires phone verification in my recent experience. proton sometimes requires verification by e-mail though.
OK, I checked. When I created a ProtonMail account via Tor, using their clearnet address, it demanded phone verification. But if I used their onion address, it didn't. I'm less sure about Tutanota.
When (using their .onion address) I connect to Protonmail and then try to signup, I'm redirected to their clearnet address, and then a verification (phone or email) is demanded. So the problem is moved a step.