Twitter said Friday that it will only allow paid users 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, which aims to make accounts more secure, requires the account holder to use another method of authentication in addition to a password. Twitter allows 2FA via text message, authentication app and security key.
To be clear, two-factor authentication is still not required to log into Twitter, although we highly encourage users to enable it. This change just restricts the 2FA methods available for accounts not subscribed to Twitter Blue.
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) February 18, 2023
The company believes phone number-based 2FA is being misused by “bad actors,” according to a Wednesday blog post that the company’s tweet linked to.
Twitter owner Elon Musk tweeted “Yup” in response to a user’s tweet that the company was changing policy “because Telcos used bot accounts to pump 2FA SMS” and that the company was costing $60 million a year. Loss is happening “on scam SMS”.
Blue Badge, previously free for verified accounts of politicians, celebrities, journalists and other public figures, is now open to anyone willing to pay.
Last month, Twitter said it would price a Twitter Blue subscription for Android at $11 per month, the same as for iOS users.
