Last week, Twitter stunned its user base and critics around the globe with a startling decision.
The company highlighted how it would no longer be offering its 2-factor authentication feature for the security of accounts for free. Instead, you’ll need to pay for it to gain the benefit.
This appeared to be another way to make money for Elon Musk but many people felt it was a selfish decision on the company’s part to put users’ accounts at risk. But the platform issued a statement where it mentioned how its users’ safety was their top priority but after seeing such behavior, you have to beg to disagree.
A new blog post by the company saw Twitter announcing how only those accounts with a premium Blue subscription feature would get to use the 2FA which is text message based. And if you don’t plan on switching to another type of authentication, you’re going to be vulnerable on the app as the deadline outlined is March 20.
This in turn means switching off a major security feature, allowing you to open your account with the simple means of just a password. And if your password isn’t as strong as it should be, well, you’re in trouble, to say the least.
The app has mentioned time and time again how it hopes users understand that this is being done in their best interest but clearly, it’s not. The ideology is to generate more revenue as the company struggles on that front, thanks to its poor advertising endeavors that have been at a standstill since Elon Musk took over.
Experts hope that by making others pay, the company wouldn’t be forced to deal with a financial burden related to sending out texts because as we all know, it’s not cheap. So why not make others pay, right?
Twitter has even gone on to send a new justification for the behavior. They call it out as one being done to better the safety of the app as such endeavors are being abused by the likes of bad actors. We saw them shed light in the past on how tactics like sim swaps are done by convincing cellphone providers to provide data of consumers’ numbers and link them to devices that are under the hacker’s complete control.
This way, bad actors can impersonate the users and get codes that give them full access to the online account of the victim. But we’re still trying to understand how Blue subscribers are protected by this.
Whatever the case may be, the 2FA feature is definitely sure to make users’ accounts secure as compared to those without the feature. But before you do end up losing hope and resort to Elon Musk’s means, there is one silver lining here.
Twitter is not gotten rid of the feature for a while. You may still keep your user account protected with the likes of strong 2FA but without giving a dime to Musk. All you need to do is act fast because the March 20 deadline is approaching.
Instead of the usual 2FA codes that are sent out via texts, you need the 2FA that is app-based. This is so much more secure and really fast like the usual text messages. So now, instead of your device sending out codes via text, it’s an authentic app on your device that does the honor.
A few apps that are assigned to do this include Duo and Google Authenticator, among others. And to utilize the feature, simply download the app, click on settings and privacy in your Twitter account, and press on security and account access (or on desktop access this setting).
After it’s enabled, click on the tab that says Authentication App and simply follow the rules mentioned to benefit.
Read next: Microsoft’s Bing downloads peaked due to ChatGPT
The company highlighted how it would no longer be offering its 2-factor authentication feature for the security of accounts for free. Instead, you’ll need to pay for it to gain the benefit.
This appeared to be another way to make money for Elon Musk but many people felt it was a selfish decision on the company’s part to put users’ accounts at risk. But the platform issued a statement where it mentioned how its users’ safety was their top priority but after seeing such behavior, you have to beg to disagree.
A new blog post by the company saw Twitter announcing how only those accounts with a premium Blue subscription feature would get to use the 2FA which is text message based. And if you don’t plan on switching to another type of authentication, you’re going to be vulnerable on the app as the deadline outlined is March 20.
This in turn means switching off a major security feature, allowing you to open your account with the simple means of just a password. And if your password isn’t as strong as it should be, well, you’re in trouble, to say the least.
The app has mentioned time and time again how it hopes users understand that this is being done in their best interest but clearly, it’s not. The ideology is to generate more revenue as the company struggles on that front, thanks to its poor advertising endeavors that have been at a standstill since Elon Musk took over.
Experts hope that by making others pay, the company wouldn’t be forced to deal with a financial burden related to sending out texts because as we all know, it’s not cheap. So why not make others pay, right?
Twitter has even gone on to send a new justification for the behavior. They call it out as one being done to better the safety of the app as such endeavors are being abused by the likes of bad actors. We saw them shed light in the past on how tactics like sim swaps are done by convincing cellphone providers to provide data of consumers’ numbers and link them to devices that are under the hacker’s complete control.
This way, bad actors can impersonate the users and get codes that give them full access to the online account of the victim. But we’re still trying to understand how Blue subscribers are protected by this.
Whatever the case may be, the 2FA feature is definitely sure to make users’ accounts secure as compared to those without the feature. But before you do end up losing hope and resort to Elon Musk’s means, there is one silver lining here.
Twitter is not gotten rid of the feature for a while. You may still keep your user account protected with the likes of strong 2FA but without giving a dime to Musk. All you need to do is act fast because the March 20 deadline is approaching.
Instead of the usual 2FA codes that are sent out via texts, you need the 2FA that is app-based. This is so much more secure and really fast like the usual text messages. So now, instead of your device sending out codes via text, it’s an authentic app on your device that does the honor.
A few apps that are assigned to do this include Duo and Google Authenticator, among others. And to utilize the feature, simply download the app, click on settings and privacy in your Twitter account, and press on security and account access (or on desktop access this setting).
After it’s enabled, click on the tab that says Authentication App and simply follow the rules mentioned to benefit.
Read next: Microsoft’s Bing downloads peaked due to ChatGPT
