Twitter to Charge Users for Two-Factor Authentication, Sparking Backlash

Twitter has decided to make a notable change to the security of its application, namely to charge for two-factor authentication (2FA) per SMS. Indeed, it is now necessary to have a Twitter Blue subscription to access it.

Two-factor authentication is, as the name suggests, a way of having two checks to authorize login to an account. The user must first enter his username and password, and after that, he must enter an additional code generated on the fly.

There are several ways to receive this code, including SMS. Once the code is entered, the connection to the account is authorized. Thus, a hacker who somehow gained access to your username and password will not be able to connect because the 2FA code is missing.

Now, Twitter has decided that two-factor authentication via SMS will be charged with a Blue subscription; will be a reality from March 20th. Twitter Blue costs €9.60/month (VAT included because the €8 price shown by the social network does not take this into account) or €100.80/year. These are web prices. If you decide to subscribe from the social network’s iOS or Android application, the price will be €11/month. But a subscription subscribed on the web is valid on the smartphone.

Twitter Blue mandatory for two-factor authentication via SMS

Is there still a free solution? Yes, it is possible to use applications such as Google Authenticator, Authy and others to generate codes. This solution is more secure than receiving codes via SMS. There is also the possibility to use security keys that connect to your device.

And for information, Twitter reveals that only 2.6% of active accounts have enabled at least one two-factor authentication method. 74.4% of these accounts use SMS to receive codes, while 28.9% use applications such as Google Authenticator and Authy and 0.5% use security keys.