Twitter users have reported difficulties accessing two-factor authentication on the social media platform, raising concerns about the possibility of individual and business users losing access to their accounts when they log out. Some Twitter users have said that they are facing problems with Twitter’s two-factor authentication system; they were temporarily locked out of their accounts on Monday amid Elon Musk’s huge changes to the platform.
Musk tweeted on Monday that he was “turning off the “microservices” bloatware.” He said that less than 20% of the company’s microservices were needed for Twitter to work. On Tuesday morning, Twitter CEO Elon Musk declared the site will soon turn off “microservices” bloatware in the platform’s back end, a move he said will boost Twitter loading times. The decision comes as Musk slashes staff levels and costs at the company, which the controversial entrepreneur now leads after a dramatic US$44 billion takeover.
Two-factor authentication, abbreviated as “2FA,” requires users to verify their login details across two devices at once, making it harder for hackers to break into user accounts.
The Australian Consumer and Competition Commission lists 2FA as a useful step internet users can take to protect their identities online. But should 2FA services fail, users could effectively become locked out of their accounts when they log out of a social media platform. Such a lockout could pose harm to businesses, whose official accounts may become unusable without intervention from Twitter itself.
Since acquiring Twitter on October 27, Musk has pushed ahead with plans to make significant changes to the platform, such as charging users for verification and luring content creators away from other platforms. He has also touted the possibility of introducing tiers of content moderation, reviving Vine, and offering a high-yield money market account. Musk has also fired around half of the company’s workforce, told staff to return to the office or face dismissal, and brought in more than 50 employees from Tesla.
One social-media expert previously told Insider that while Musk’s decisions since taking over Twitter may look chaotic, he has a “master plan.”
