People didn't, because phones are not useful for this purpose. And, yes, if they were, we would be asking ourselves how to prevent their use for this purpose.
The phone network is useful for other uses society deems to be net-negative, such as spammy calls. As a result, technical and legal barriers were erected to curtail such abuses.
The phone network is useful for other uses society deems to be net-negative, such as spammy calls. As a result, technical and legal barriers were erected to curtail such abuses.