by Tech Talk | Feb 21, 2023 | Articles
Twitter last week said it will allow only paid subscribers to use text messages as a two-factor authentication (2FA) method to secure their accounts.
After 20 March, “only Twitter Blue subscribers will be able to use text messages as their two-factor authentication method”, the company tweeted.
Two-factor authentication, meant to make accounts more secure, requires an account holder to use a second authentication method in addition to a password. Twitter allows 2FA by text message, authentication app and a security key.
The company believes phone number-based 2FA is being abused by “bad actors”, according to a Wednesday blog post that the company’s tweet linked to.
Twitter owner Elon Musk tweeted “Yup” in reply to a user tweet that the company was changing policy “because Telcos Used Bot Accounts to Pump 2FA SMS”, and that the company was losing US$60-million/year “on scam SMS”.
The blue checkmark, previously free for verified accounts of politicians, famous personalities, journalists and other public figures, is now open to anyone prepared to pay.
Last month, Twitter said it would price Twitter Blue subscription for Android at $11/month, the same as for iOS subscribers. — Reuters
Editor@tech-talk.co.za
by Tech Talk | Nov 9, 2022 | Articles
New Twitter owner Elon Musk has considered putting all of Twitter behind a paywall, according to a report on Tuesday.
US technology journalist Casey Newton, citing an unnamed source, said on Platformer, his subscription newsletter, that Musk has “discussed putting the entire site behind a paywall”.
A move to throw up a paywall around the entirety of Twitter would be controversial but could make sense as the billionaire CEO of electric car maker Tesla seeks ways to make Twitter – which he bought two weeks ago for US$44-billion – more commercially sustainable.
The Platformer report, citing a person familiar with the situation, said Musk and his adviser at Twitter, venture capitalist David Sacks, had discussed the idea of an all-encompassing paywall in recent meetings.
“One such plan might allow everyone to use Twitter for a limited amount of time each month but require a subscription to continue browsing,” the report said, citing the source. However, Platformer said such a move was likely not imminent given that Twitter teams were wholly focused on the launch of paid-for verification.
Musk is clearly keen to find new revenue streams for Twitter and has in recent days has proposed an $8/month subscription fee for users who want a blue verification checkmark next to their names (among other benefits, including seeing less advertising in their timelines).
Musk has drawn fire for that plan, with critics arguing that the value of the verified checkmark will be greatly diminished if anyone can pay to get one. Until now, a Twitter team has verified the identity of users with checkmarks, which are often assigned to celebrities, politicians, journalists and other high-profile people.
The moves by Twitter’s new CEO come as the company struggles to win over major advertisers worried about its future under its new owner, with several big-name brands in recent days electing to pause their ad spend. These include Audi, General Motors, Interpublic Group, Pfizer and Volkswagen. – NewsCentral Media
Editor@tech-talk.co.za
by Tech Talk | Nov 3, 2022 | Articles
Twitter will charge US$8/month for its Blue service, which includes its sought-after “verified” badge, new boss Elon Musk said on Tuesday as he seeks to boost subscriptions and make the social media network less reliant on ads.
“Twitter’s current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bullshit. Power to the people! Blue for $8/month,” Musk said in a tweet, adding that the price will be adjusted by “country proportionate to purchasing power parity”.
A blue checkmark next to a person’s username on the social media platform means Twitter has confirmed that the account belongs to the person or company claiming it. Twitter is currently free for most users.
Billionaire Musk bought Twitter for $44-billion last week. Since the takeover, he has moved quickly to put his stamp on the company, firing its previous chief and other top officials.
Twitter’s advertising chief, Sarah Personette, tweeted on Tuesday that she had resigned her post last week, adding further uncertainty for advertisers.
Musk on Tuesday said subscribers with blue checkmarks would get priority in replies, mentions and search and would be able to post longer videos and audios. They would see half as many ads. He also offered subscribers a paywall bypass from “publishers willing to work with us”.
Musk’s comments follow media reports that he was looking at the process of profile verification and how the blue checkmarks were given. Twitter used to give these to noteworthy profiles based on its own criteria.
More than 80% of Twitter users who took part in a recent poll said they would not pay for the checkmark. Some 10% said they were willing to pay $5/month.
Twitter already has a subscription service called Twitter Blue, which was launched in June last year and offers access to features such as an option to edit tweets.
Amid speculation that Twitter may soon start charging verified users a monthly fee of $20 for blue ticks, bestselling author Stephen King tweeted: “If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron.”
Separately, S&P Global Ratings downgraded Twitter to B- on “significant” debt increase following the acquisition. — Reuters
Editor@tech-talk.co.za
by Tech Talk | Nov 1, 2022 | Articles
Twitter, which was acquired last week by billionaire Elon Musk, plans to let go of a quarter of its workforce as part of what is expected to be a first round of layoffs, the Washington Post reported on Monday, citing a person familiar with the matter.
Celebrity lawyer Alex Spiro, a long-time Musk legal representative, led the conversations about the job cuts, according to the report.
Twitter had more than 7 000 employees at the end of 2021, according to a regulatory filing, and a quarter of the headcount amounts to nearly 2 000 people.
Musk denied a New York Times report about laying off Twitter employees at a date earlier than 1 November to avoid stock grants due on the day.
Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Musk fired Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, finance chief Ned Segal and legal affairs and policy chief Vijaya Gadde on completion of a six-month, US$44-billion buyout saga of the social media platform on Thursday, sources said. — Reuters
Editor@tech-talk.co.za
by Tech Talk | Oct 31, 2022 | Articles
Elon Musk has begun laying the groundwork for a round of layoffs at Twitter days after taking ownership of the social media platform.
The billionaire entrepreneur, who completed his $44 billion acquisition Thursday, has asked managers to draw up lists of team members who could be let go, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The person asked not to be identified discussing private conversations.
Headcount reduction could commence as early as Saturday, the New York Times reported earlier. A representative of San Francisco-based Twitter didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.
Concerns over massive layoffs swirled in the run-up to Musk’s take-private transaction, when potential investors were told that he’d eliminate 75% of the workforce, currently near 7,500.
Musk later denied that the cuts would be that deep, though he hasn’t elaborated on the job cut plans.
The reductions could be closer to 50% of the work force, the Washington Post reported Saturday. One of the first to be impacted will likely be legal, trust and safety, the organization that oversees content moderation, the newspaper said.
Musk has already axed much of Twitter’s leadership team, including its chief executive officer, finance chief and two senior legal staffers.
He plans to be CEO himself in the immediate term, according to people familiar with the matter.
In recent weeks, Musk has hinted at his staffing priorities, saying he wants to focus on the core product. “Software engineering, server operations & design will rule the roost,” he tweeted in early October.
Some staff were invited to a staff meeting next Wednesday; some weren’t, according to people familiar with the matter. That generated suspicion around which teams will be cut.
Editor@tech-talk.co.za
