Twitter to charge users to secure accounts via text message

Twitter mentioned on Friday it should permit solely paid subscribers to make use of textual content messages as a two-factor authentication (2FA) technique 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.

Two-factor authentication, meant to make accounts safer, requires an account holder to make use of a second authentication technique along with 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 keeping with a Wednesday weblog put up that the corporate’s tweet linked to.

Twitter proprietor Elon Musk tweeted “Yup” in reply to a consumer tweet that the corporate was altering coverage “because Telcos Used Bot Accounts to Pump 2FA SMS,” and that the corporate was dropping $60 million a yr “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 might value Twitter Blue subscription for Android at $11 monthly, the identical as for iOS subscribers.

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