Categories: BusinessTechnology

Twitter to charge users to secure accounts via text message

Twitter said on Friday it will allow only paid subscribers to use text messages as a two-factor authentication (2FA) method to secure their accounts.

After March 20, “only Twitter Blue subscribers will be able to use text messages as their two-factor authentication method,” the company tweeted.

Two-factor authentication, meant to make accounts more secure, requires an account holder to use a second authentication method in addition to a password. Twitter allows 2FA by text message, authentication app and a security key.

The company believes phone-number-based 2FA is being abused by “bad actors,” according to a Wednesday blog post that the company’s tweet linked to.

Twitter owner Elon Musk tweeted “Yup” in reply to a user tweet that the company was changing policy “because Telcos Used Bot Accounts to Pump 2FA SMS,” and that the company was losing $60 million a year “on scam SMS.”

The blue check mark, previously free for verified accounts of politicians, famous personalities, journalists and other public figures, is now open to anyone prepared to pay.

Last month, Twitter said it would price Twitter Blue subscription for Android at $11 per month, the same as for iOS subscribers.

Source : Reuters

GLOBAL BUSINESS AND FINANCE MAGAZINE

Recent Posts

Why detours improve development outcomes

In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus does not reach home by following a flawless plan. His journey is…

48 minutes ago

Who is Raising Our Children? Screens, Baby Shark, and the Impact on Early Childhood

Sixteen billion. That’s how many times the popular children’s song Baby Shark has been viewed on YouTube.…

54 minutes ago

How traffic demand management can improve access, equity, and jobs in transit-oriented cities

Cities around the world are grappling with how to expand access to jobs and services…

58 minutes ago

Six ways to make tourism projects work for people, places, and prosperity

Tourism generates 10 percent of global GDP and supports 1 in 10 jobs worldwide. Because…

1 hour ago

Elevating the knowledge agenda for women entrepreneurs to boost jobs, growth, and access to finance

Women entrepreneurs represent a powerful yet largely untapped source of job creation and economic growth. Removing…

1 hour ago

A silver lining to the European energy crisis: Energy efficiency, productivity, and potential output

The 2022 natural gas price shock triggered the largest rise in fossil fuel prices in…

1 hour ago