Tech Tok: Twitter removes 2FA for free users

Effective Tuesday, the non-Twitter Blue users are stripped of the two-factor authentication (2FA) tool

Hyderabad: Effective Tuesday, the non-Twitter Blue users are stripped of the two-factor authentication (2FA) tool. This additional layer of security is now available only to subscribers.

Rather than just entering your password to access your account, with 2FA you will also have to enter a security code that is usually sent to your mobile number. This helps in determining that it is actually you who is accessing the account.

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While 2FA is a widely used authentication method that in multiple cases helps heighten security, there have been instances when the mechanism failed.

Twitter in one of their update blogs said that the method is being “used – and abused – by bad actors.” Stating this as a primary reason to take the feature behind a paywall, Twitter asked its free users to enroll with an alternative authentication tool.

The move is widely perceived as the company’s latest way to monetise features and uses of the platform. Some even raised a very valid question – if 2FA is an unsafe authentication method and is thus being discontinued for free users, why would Twitter want to put its subscriber users at risk?

Launched at the end of last year, Twitter Blue has a monthly fee of Rs 650 for web and Rs 900 for mobile devices in India. These subscription users are given access to various additional features available on the platform such as being able to edit a tweet, post longer videos, and even a blue check mark.

Siri to get ChatGPT-like capability

Apple’s virtual assistant Siri may soon get ChatGPT-like capability as the company fiercely attempts to catch up in the AI race. Unlike the interactive chatbot which generates textual content, Siri is said to offer speech output that is touted to sound more human than ever.

According to reports, Apple is currently testing the more capable Siri on Apple TVs running on tvOS 16.4 beta, and is trained to generate jokes and nothing else. In the coming days, it may be available on iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other Apple devices.

Microsoft launches 365 Copilot

After incorporating ChatGPT with Bing, Microsoft is now integrating AI across all its other products. The company launched Microsoft 365 Copilot which will work in tandem with tools like Word, PowerPoint, and others.

The copilot will combine the power of large language models (LLMs) with your data in the Microsoft apps and summarize chats and create plans from project files. It will also help save time in writing, editing, and creating data visuals.

Amazon fires 9000 employees

Continuing its cost-cutting effort like many other tech giants, Amazon began its second round of layoffs by handing the boot to 9000 employees. Earlier in January this year, it eliminated as many as 18,000 individuals.

CEO Andy Jassy in a message to fired employees said that the company will have to sack employees to save costs and use resources carefully because of the economic downturn.

Meta launches subscription service

Following in the footsteps of Twitter and Snap, Meta on Friday launched its subscription service in the United States. Put simply, Facebook and Instagram users can now pay and get blue verification badges.

For $11.99 per month on the web or $14.99 a month on Apple’s iOS system and Google-owned Android,
Meta will give users a blue badge after they verify their accounts using a government ID.

– Epsita Gunti with agency inputs