Guwahati: Twitter users were surprised to learn that the microblogging service will no longer be offering SMS-based two-factor authentication (2FA) as of Monday, March 20.
The decision was announced last month, and users have been given 30 days to remove SMS-based authentication from their accounts.
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Twitter has said that the change is being made due to potential misuse by “bad actors” and that only users who have subscribed to Twitter Blue will be able to request login codes via SMS.
It is important to note that users will still be able to protect their accounts with a second layer of authentication using a third-party authenticator app, or a hardware security key.
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In order to keep their account secure, Twitter users can follow the instructions provided by Twitter to set up a free third-party app like Authy, Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, or the open-source Aegis Authenticator. Alternatively, they can purchase a hardware security key. It is worth noting that Twitter Blue costs Rs 900 per month or Rs 9,400 for an annual plan.
However, Twitter also offers cheaper plans via the Web interface that are priced at Rs 650 per month or Rs 6,800 per year.
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Twitter’s move to no longer offer SMS-based 2FA has been met with both criticism and praise.
Critics of the decision argue that SMS authentication is easier for many users to set up and that removing it will leave several Twitter accounts without protection from hackers.
On the other hand, supporters of the move have said that SMS-based authentication is widely considered an insecure 2FA method compared to authenticator apps and hardware security keys.