Twitter to Limit Text Message Two-Factor Authentication to Paid Subscribers

Twitter has announced that, starting from March 20, only its paid subscribers can use text messages as a two-factor authentication (2FA) method to secure their accounts. Two-factor authentication is a security measure designed to improve the protection of user accounts by requiring users to provide a secondary authentication factor in addition to their password. Twitter offers 2FA methods, including text message, authentication app, and security key. However, text message-based 2FA will soon become exclusive to Twitter Blue subscribers.

Twitter Blue is the social media giant's subscription service that provides additional features to its users for a monthly fee. The service includes ad-free browsing, the ability to undo tweets, and now exclusive access to text message-based 2FA. Twitter aims to incentivize users to subscribe to its paid service and help the company generate revenue.

While 2FA is an essential security feature that adds an extra layer of protection to user accounts, text message-based 2FA is considered less secure than other methods. Hackers can intercept text messages and use them to gain unauthorized access to user accounts. Authenticator apps and security keys are generally more secure and harder to hack. As such, Twitter's decision to limit text message-based 2FA to its paid subscribers could be a strategic move to encourage users to adopt more secure methods.

Twitter has been improving its platform's security in recent years, intending to prevent account hijacking and unauthorized access. Limiting text message-based 2FA to paid subscribers could be another step towards a more secure platform.

To conclude, although this change may be inconvenient for some users initially, it could go a long way toward ensuring everyone's data remains secure online. With this decision, Twitter is taking another step forward in providing its users peace of mind through improved safety measures.