Twitter has recently announced that it will be restricting the use of SMS-based two-factor authentication (2FA) to its Blue subscribers. This decision was made as the company has observed that phone-number-based 2FA is being misused by bad actors. As such, Twitter will no longer allow accounts to enroll in the text message/SMS method of 2FA, except for Twitter Blue subscribers.
Users who have enrolled in SMS-based 2FA have until March 20, 2023, to switch to an alternative method, such as an authenticator app or a hardware security key, if they have not subscribed to Twitter Blue. After this date, non-Blue subscribers will have their SMS-based 2FA option disabled.
The alternative methods require users to have physical possession of the authentication method and are an effective way to ensure account security, Twitter noted. With SMS being the least secure form of 2FA, this recent enforcement is expected to motivate people to move towards more secure forms of authentication.
Twitter's data shows that only 2.6% of all active accounts have enabled at least one form of 2FA. SMS is the most commonly used method, accounting for 74.4% of all active accounts, followed by authenticator apps at 28.9% and security keys at 0.5%.
In conclusion, Twitter's decision to restrict SMS-based 2FA to its Blue subscribers only is a step towards enhancing account security. Users who have not yet subscribed to Twitter Blue and have enrolled in SMS-based 2FA should switch to an alternative method before March 20, 2023, to ensure they maintain the highest level of security for their Twitter account.
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