CUTTING COSTS

Twitter Will Now Charge for Key Security Feature

Starting March 20, it’ll cost you to use two-factor authentication via text message.

Twitter users hoping to use the social media giant’s SMS two-factor authentication to keep their accounts safe will have to start paying for it starting March 20, the company announced. Platformer’s Zoe Schiffer first revealed the new policy, which will see only Twitter Blue subscribers able to use the two-factor authentication method. In a statement, Twitter explained the move by noting that text-based authentication has often been “abused” by “bad actors.” But the shift also comes as the social network strives to get more users to subscribe to Twitter Blue, which costs $8 a month through the web or $11 on mobile. “After 20 March 2023, we will no longer permit non-Twitter Blue subscribers to use text messages as a 2FA method. At that time, accounts with text message 2FA still enabled will have it disabled,” the company said. Users who don’t cough up money for Twitter Blue can still use an authentication app or security key to protect their account.