Twitter stated on Friday that only premium members will be allowed to use text messages as a two-factor authentication (2FA) approach to safeguard their accounts.
By March 20, only Twitter Blue subscribers will be able to use text messages as their two-factor authentication method, the company announced in a tweet.
Two-factor authentication, which is intended to strengthen account security, requires the account holder to use a second authentication method in addition to a password. Twitter enables two-factor authentication via a security key, an authentication app, and text messages.
According to a Wednesday blog post linked in the company’s tweet, the company believes “bad actors” are misusing phone-number-based 2FA.
Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, responded to a user tweet saying the firm was changing policy “because Telcos Using Bot Accounts to Pump 2FA SMS” and that the company was losing $60 million a year “on fraud SMS.”
The blue checkmark, which was previously reserved for verified accounts of public figures such as journalists, lawmakers, and other well-known individuals, is now open to anyone willing to pay.
Last month, Twitter stated that the price of the Twitter Blue subscription for Android users will be the same as for iOS users: $11 per month.
