[cbk1994]

Incorrect.

You cannot identify a single person through an IP, and you certainly cannot get their exact location or telephone number. They can be used to place people on a map, normally within 10-50 miles.

There is no reason to worry about your IP. Virtually anyone can see your IP. It's possible to send a mass PM with an image in it, and when that image is viewed, your IP is logged to their webserver. They could even use a clever message code trick to match that IP to the account.

IPs are not private, the argument has been made many times. Every single website logs your IP.