Ever since Elon Musk acquired Twitter, the micro-blogging site has gone through some massive changes causing discontent among the users.
Especially, the introduction of Twitter Blue and the paid services was already being criticised by many Twitteratis, now with Twitter removing the two-factor authentication (2FA) through SMS for non-Twitter Blue users, Elon Musk has come under the scanner once again.
The official Twitter blog reported that 'after March 20, the service will no longer be available for the non-Twitter Blue subscribers' and some users have started getting prompts of opting out of the service by March 19 to avoid losing access to their account.
The two-factor authentication method is an additional safety measure to keep one's account safe, and lately, users are being encouraged to use the service in order to keep their data protected. There are usually three methods through which the authentication work: text message, authentication app, and security key.
Twitter in their blog mentions that they are removing the text-message service due to security reasons.
It says, "We have seen phone-number-based 2FA be used - and abused - by bad actors. So starting today, we will no longer allow accounts to enroll in the text message/SMS method of 2FA unless they are Twitter Blue subscribers,"
Twitter users, however, are unhappy with the announcement and have taken their concerns to the platform. The users mention how it is not just a counter-productive move to make Twitter less safe, it is also clearly arm-twisting its users into subscribing to Twitter Blue.
One user wrote, "I just got this message... absolute genius move to make a website less secure. Next-level brain on that guy."
Another user wrote, "It's increasingly unclear if Elon Musk is destroying Twitter on purpose, or by accident. But, either way, the man is doing an absolute hatchet job on what's essentially a public information utility."
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