Twitter customers have been greeted early Saturday with an ultimatum from the social media app: Subscribe to the platform’s new premium service or lose a well-liked account safety function.
A pop-up message warned customers they are going to lose the flexibility to safe their accounts through textual content message two-factor authentication until they pay $8 a month to subscribe to Twitter Blue.
The message stated that beginning March 19, customers who don’t subscribe will probably be locked out of their accounts till they take away the safety function.
Here are some questions and solutions about why Twitter made this modification and alternative routes to safe your account:
WHAT IS TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION?
Two-factor authentication provides a second layer of safety to password-protected accounts by having customers enter an auto-generated code to log in.
This further step helps safeguard on-line accounts as a result of along with the password, you want entry to a separate app, machine or telephone quantity the place you’ll be able to obtain the code.
Such codes could be generated by apps like Microsoft Authenticator or Google Authenticator. Or they are often despatched to a consumer’s smartphone through textual content message.
It’s the textual content message-based two-factor authorization that Twitter is now proscribing solely to subscribers of Twitter Blue.
WHY IS TWITTER DOING THIS?
In a weblog put up Wednesday, the San Francisco-based firm acknowledged that the textual content message-based safety technique has been traditionally common with its customers, however stated the function is being “used – and abused – by bad actors.”
The firm didn’t reply early Saturday to an e mail looking for extra particulars on how the safety technique was being abused.
Elon Musk, who accomplished his $44 billion takeover of Twitter in October, has been looking for option to maximize earnings on the firm.
One of these is Twitter Blue, which amongst different options permits anybody to pay for verification beforehand reserved for celebrities, journalists and different well-known individuals.
In its weblog, Twitter inspired customers who should not going to subscribe to Twitter Blue to think about using various account safety choices, particularly an authentication app or safety key.
These strategies require you to have bodily possession of the authentication technique and are a great way to make sure your account is safe.
WHAT ARE OTHER OPTIONS TO SECURE MY TWITTER ACCOUNT?
An authentication app or a safety key will even add a layer of account safety past only a password.
A safety key’s a small, transportable machine that generates a set of random numbers that you just enter when prompted when logging into a web-based account.
An authentication app makes use of the identical method, however as a substitute of a separate bodily machine, the app is in your telephone.
Use of free authentication apps for 2FA will stay free and are rather more safe than SMS https://t.co/pFMdxWPlai
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 18, 2023
To arrange an authentication app to safe your Twitter account, you will want to obtain considered one of various accessible purposes to your machine. They are free within the Apple or Android app shops. If you’d somewhat not use Google or Microsoft Authenticator, there are different choices, together with Authy, Duo Mobile and 1Password.
Once you’ve the app, open the desktop model of Twitter and click on on the icon displaying ellipses in a circle. There, you’ll discover “Settings and privacy” then “Security and account access” and eventually, “Security.” Here, you’ll be able to choose “Authentication app” and comply with the directions to set it up. Twitter will ask you to share your e mail tackle to do that, you probably have not already.
Once you’re all set, you should utilize the auto-generated numeric codes out of your authentication app so as to add an additional layer of safety when logging into Twitter.
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Source: calgary.citynews.ca