Twitter has had multiple people call for changes to how it recognizes accounts and what can be done to resolve which ones are more legit than others.
Engineer Jane Manchun Wong has scooped up a Twitter label that would keep accounts with a verified phone number.
She also noted another test feature displaying view counts for tweets, which some users already have access to for their tweets under the label of “analytics.” However, she said it’s ambiguous if this would be limited to the author or observable to everyone.
Attaching an account to a number is one form to highlight that it was built with more effort than the most specific macro and could be used to screen out which tweets seem the most prominently or make it through the different levels of quality filters. Twitter also permits people to have the same phone number associated with up to ten other accounts. At the same time, creators can label automated accounts to let people know there isn’t a human after each post.
Verified “blue check” accounts must already have a phone number or email address. When then-CEO Jack Dorsey spoke about plans to allow verification for everyone, he noted having people verify facts about themselves. It could’ve been similar to how services like Airbnb and Tinder use phone numbers as parts of their account verification procedures.
However, prompting users to link phone numbers to their accounts and show the status means securing that data becomes a problem. On August 5th, Twitter revealed the details of an incident that permitted an attacker to discover 5.4 million account names associated with specific phone numbers and email addresses. By the firm’s own account, the privacy drawback was introduced in a June 2021 update, wasn’t conveyed to Twitter until January, and Twitter was not acquainted with the information that had been stolen until July when media information broadcasted that someone was trying to market the database.
The 2020 hack that permitted attackers to tweet from Joe Biden and Jack Dorsey’s accounts about Bitcoin reached about after the nitpickers social-engineered their path to using Twitter’s internal tools. Some contractors had utilized Twitter’s instruments to watch on celebrity accounts, and earlier this month, a former employee was sentenced on charges of spying after he exploited his status to “access the email addresses, contact numbers, and birth dates of users who were vital of the Saudi government.”
In May, Twitter agreed to a $150 million settlement for improperly using phone numbers and email addresses collected for two-factor authentication in its ad targeting, showing how leaky the data can be.
There is pressure to make certain information posted on social media come from real people or someone in the nation they claim. The phone number tag could recreate a part in considering an account’s trustworthiness, but it’s vague if or when Twitter could proceed it out widely.
Attaching a phone number to your account is an excellent step toward a better Twitter venture. If you’re feeling about adding your number, here are a few benefits:
- You are maintaining your account secure. You’ll be capable of enrolling in security features like login verification with a phone number on your account.
- More rapid account recovery. If you ever fail access to your account, keeping a phone number attached can make it more comfortable for you to get back into Twitter.
- Unite with friends and contacts. You can effortlessly associate with people you know with a phone number on your account.
How to Add your Phone Number
- Step 1: Tap the More icon and choose Settings and privacy from the drop-down menu.
- Step 2: Tap on the Your Account tab and select Account information.
- Step 3: Choose Phone from the drop-down menu.
- Step 4: Tap on Add a phone number and verify your password. No requirement to include your country code or leading zero; we hold these automatically. Tap Continue.
- Step 5: We will dispatch a code (via SMS text message) to your phone number. Please document it in the Verification code box, and tap Activate phone.
You may be able to ask for a voice call to verify your phone number.
Why associate a phone number with your Twitter account
When your Twitter account includes a phone number associated with it, you have access to extra benefits that include:
- Access to security features like login verification helps keep your account secure.
- Linking with contacts who are already on Twitter.
- Let your friends find you (if they have your phone number saved as a contact).
An accurate and up-to-date phone number and email address is a critical step you can take to guarantee you never lose access to your account. Take a moment to ensure the phone number is up to date, especially if you are about to switch your phone number or device. If you don’t hold an email address associated with your account yet, keep your account even more secure by adding an email address.
Tips
- If you own a new phone number, update your account effortlessly by signing in to your account on the web or your Phone’s mobile browser.
- If you’re fetching a new phone or device, take a minute to brush all your data off the old one.
- If there’s an SD card in your old Phone, you should also carry it out or brush your data before you leave it.
As an extra precaution, Twitter recommends that you revoke the key to any apps that you added to your account employing your old phone number or device:
- Sign in to twitter.com with a desktop or laptop computer.
- See your App settings.
- Tap Revoke access for apps linked to your account via your old Phone or device.
Twitter dispatches this notification when we receive signals that the phone number attached to your account may belong to someone else. However, as a precaution for your account’s security, Twitter disconnects the number and notifies you.
This notification can be activated when an account is inactive for 45 or more days, and the number affixed to the account is added to a new account (and the account owner can confirm their ownership of the number).
Suppose you received a message that the number you are trying to attach to your account is already associated with another Twitter account. In that case, it’s possible that your phone number previously belonged to someone else.
Don’t worry! Outdated information still exists in the system. It does not mean that the previous owner has access to the Twitter account you create with your new phone number. If you cannot create an account with your unique phone number, try creating an account using your email address.
You can add your number to up to 10 accounts. Each account with your phone number will still receive SMS text messages for password reset requests or security features like login verification. In addition, if your mobile is lost or stolen, you can prevent anyone who has it from accessing your Twitter account.