Twitter Stops SMS ‘Two Factor authentication (2FA)’ for Non Subscribers

The decision comes in as another Elon Musk move to cut Twitter’s expenses by cutting costs on SMS charges

If you haven’t purchased a Twitter Blue subscription, you will no longer be able to enjoy the SMS 2FA (Two Factor Authentication) feature. Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced that the company will no longer be supporting 2FA via SMS for unpaid users.

2FA in simple terms is an identity checker which makes sure that the account is being logged in by the user themselves and not any intruder or hacker. Using a SMS 2FA allows users to get a code on their mobile phones, which they can use to authenticate their identity.

A common and simple way to be safe on the internet, non paying Twitter users will no longer be able to use the SMS 2FA. Non paying users that previously had a SMS 2FA are now receiving pop-up notifications about removing their SMS 2FA before 19th March or risk getting their Twitter account banned.

According to a recent Tweet from Twitter Support, only Twitter Blue subscribers will be able to access the SMS 2FA facility.

This move comes in as a way for the social media company to cut costs and is probably another Elon Musk idea. Musk, who took over the company just the previous quarter has made some serious cost decreasing decisions, which includes the most recent one of ending SMS 2FA for non subscribers.

While non paying users will no longer be able to verify their accounts through SMS, they can still avail the 2FA using an authenticator app since the Twitter authenticator application remains free for all users.

“Use of free authentication apps for 2FA will remain free and are much more secure than SMS,” said Twitter CEO Elon Musk.

“Twitter had been scammed by phone companies and was paying more than $60m (£49m) a year for fake 2FA SMS messages,” he said in another statement.

Presenting her views on the matter, security expert Rachel Tobac called the decision “nerve-wracking”, saying that “all of us in security want folks to use a great form of [multi-factor authentication] to protect their account, but auto-unenrolling users who already signed up for SMS 2FA, because they didn’t pay, just opens them up to risk.”

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