Twitter Makes SMS Two-Factor Authentication Exclusive for Twitter Blue Subscribers



Twitter posted a new announcement on its official blog, saying that non-Twitter Blue subscribers have 30 days to change to another security method. After the 20th of March 2023, only subscribers can use text messages as two-factor authentication. 

What is the current 2FA on Twitter?

In order to log in with 2FA, users must also provide a code or security key in addition to their password. There are three methods of 2FA: text message, authentication app, and security key. 


Why did Twitter make the change?

As Twitter explained, 'While historically a popular form of 2FA, unfortunately, we have seen phone-number based 2FA be used - and abused - by bad actors.' In other words. Twitter charges for this method of authentication because of its lack of safety from hacking. As Social Media Today suggested, it meant that Twitter would only trust the subscribers willing to pay $8 monthly are real humans, though there was no guarantee for accounts' identities when they signed for Twitter Blue. 


Besides the concern of safety, another reason, asserted by The Verge, was the cost of sending SMS messages.Mashable said that limiting the service to Twitter Blue users monetized the use of SMS. The new policy might increase the revenue from subscriptions. 


However, overall, it might not be a promising policy, as commented by Social Media Today.

Twitter's former cooperative platforms have to find an alternative security approach. Some users will turn to other security methods, while some might stay and pay. However, it is uncertain whether the increase in subscription revenue will offset the loss of users who do not want to pay. Although the largest percentage of Twitter’s users are US-based, Twitter also has 24 million users in India, 19 million in Brazil, and 19 million in Indonesia, all of which are considered developing economies. It is hard to tell whether people in developing countries will be willing to pay extra money for the security method. 


Will Twitter earn more from this new policy? Or will SMS authentication be completely discarded in the future? Let's wait and see.


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