Twitter mentioned on Friday it’s going to enable solely paid subscribers to use textual content messages as a two-factor authentication (2FA) methodology to safe their accounts.
After March 20, “only Twitter Blue subscribers will be able to use text messages as their two-factor authentication method,” the corporate tweeted.
To be clear, two-factor authentication continues to be not required to log into Twitter, though we extremely encourage customers to allow it. This change simply restricts the 2FA strategies accessible for accounts not subscribed to Twitter Blue.
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) February 18, 2023
Two-factor authentication, meant to make accounts safer, requires an account holder to use a second authentication methodology as well as to a password. Twitter permits 2FA by textual content message, authentication app and a safety key.
The firm believes phone-number-based 2FA is being abused by “bad actors,” in accordance to a Wednesday weblog submit that the corporate’s tweet linked to. “So starting today, we will no longer allow accounts to enrol in the text message/SMS method of 2FA unless they are Twitter Blue subscribers. The availability of text message 2FA for Twitter Blue may vary by country and carrier,” the corporate mentioned within the submit.
Users who haven’t subscribed to Twitter Blue however have already got SMS primarily based 2FA enabled can have 30 days to disable it and enrol in one other methodology, in accordance to Twitter
Twitter proprietor Elon Musk tweeted “Yup” in reply to a person tweet that the corporate was altering coverage “because Telcos Used Bot Accounts to Pump 2FA SMS,” and that the corporate was dropping $60 million (roughly Rs. 490 crore) a 12 months “on scam SMS.”
The blue test mark, beforehand free for verified accounts of politicians, well-known personalities, journalists and different public figures, is now open to anybody ready to pay.
Last month, Twitter mentioned it could worth Twitter Blue subscription for Android at $11 (roughly Rs. 900) monthly, the identical as for iOS subscribers.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
