Or perhaps not.

The most recent replace from Elon and Co. is that Twitter is switching off SMS-based two-factor authentication for all non Twitter Blue subscribers from subsequent month.

As defined by Twitter:

“Whereas traditionally a well-liked type of 2FA, sadly we’ve got seen phone-number primarily based 2FA be used – and abused – by unhealthy actors. So beginning immediately, we’ll not enable accounts to enroll within the textual content message/SMS methodology of 2FA except they’re Twitter Blue subscribers. The supply of textual content message 2FA for Twitter Blue could fluctuate by nation and service.”

That signifies that probably the most generally used type of authentication, as a way to maintain your account protected from hacking, will now solely be accessible to these prepared to pay Twitter $8 monthly.

Which, theoretically at the very least, signifies that Twitter can then belief that these persons are precise people, by means of its personal verification course of – although Twitter’s isn’t truly verifying the identities of individuals signing up for Twitter Blue. So it’s simply the accounts of individuals that may afford, and are prepared to pay.

“Non-Twitter Blue subscribers which are already enrolled may have 30 days to disable this methodology and enroll in one other. After 20 March 2023, we’ll not allow non-Twitter Blue subscribers to make use of textual content messages as a 2FA methodology. At the moment, accounts with textual content message 2FA nonetheless enabled may have it disabled.”

So no extra secondary safety in your account – as a substitute, you’ll have to make use of an authentication app or safety key as a substitute. Each of that are much less handy. However Twitter appears to imagine that unhealthy actors are too simply capable of abuse the present course of. So it’s chopping them off, together with the various tens of millions of people that aren’t misusing it.

Which looks as if a pathway to extra account hacks, and extra points with folks shedding entry, which, general, doesn’t appear to be an ideal path for Twitter’s progress plans.

One other consideration is that perhaps it will simply push extra folks to pay for Twitter Blue, and convey in additional income for Twitter.

And once more, ostensibly, Twitter Blue is a type of verification, at the very least in Twitter’s eyes. So perhaps, Twitter’s view is that if it will possibly drive extra folks to pay, that may make it extra of a safety factor, and assist to weed out bots who received’t pay the month-to-month charge.

However general, it looks as if a short-sighted method, which is able to result in extra hurt than good. Anybody who controls a model deal with will now have to think about different safety choices, and anybody who values their Twitter account in any respect will seemingly additionally have to re-think their method.

However will that get extra folks to sign-up for Twitter Blue? Possibly. I nonetheless don’t think about that many manufacturers will likely be trying to fork out $1000 monthly for Twitter’s upcoming Verification for Organizations, however perhaps, by making 2FA a Blue unique, extra people will.

If they’ll afford it.

The biggest proportion of Twitter’s customers are US primarily based, however Twitter additionally has 24 million customers in India, 19 million in Brazil, and 19 million in Indonesia, all of that are thought of growing economies.

Will folks in these areas be capable to afford the additional value? And that’s additionally if they’ll sign-up, as Twitter Blue isn’t accessible in all areas as but.

Then once more, Twitter clearly sees trigger for concern, and you’ll assume that they imagine that eradicating this feature will assist to scale back the impression of spammers and scammers within the app.

It may very well be an enormous worth to pay. Hopefully it’s price it.