Twitter is testing a verification system for everyone by phone number. there are risks

Currently, Twitter account verification is only available to high profile individuals or brands, so most users cannot access the blue badge on their profile. Now, the social network has started testing a new verification method aimed at reaching more users. But this advantage comes with a potential privacy issue.

As The Verge explains, Jane Manchun Wong, an expert in reverse engineering, discovered this new function. Twitter’s idea is, as we’ve seen in the screenshots, “verified phone number” label profile under bio. This is not a blue badge-level verification, but an alternative that can strengthen the authenticity of the account, making it easier for users to identify if they are dealing with a spam account.

Giving out your phone number isn’t always a good idea.

The intention to introduce a broader method of verification might be a good idea, especially when Elon Musk accuses the platform of being bothered by bots. However, at least according to the tests, the desired path can be a headache for users. Why? Why? Because the verification is done through the phone number and Twitter has been having trouble keeping this information safe lately.

Twitter is working on verified phone number tag in profile pic.twitter.com/H4gJGaNHQT

— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) 19 August 2022

in 2021 a security vulnerability in the platform cyber attackers allowed to know which accounts are associated with phone numbers and emailsenables a large collection of private data. He said and it’s over. Later, the data of 5.4 million Twitter accounts began to circulate on the dark web for sale. Price? 30,000 dollars.

But that wasn’t Twitter’s only privacy issue. The company was sued using the phone numbers and email addresses of some of its users to serve targeted ads. The move cost him $150 million after he reached a settlement with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

It should also be noted that some Twitter employees have sufficient privileges to access users’ personal data. In the past, the ability was used to spy on celebrities, and recently an employee was accused of “espionage” after using his job to “access email addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth” from users critical of the Saudi government. .

Is our data safe then? It’s a difficult question to answer. There are always risks in the network, it is important that users are aware of them and try to reduce them. For example, instead of choosing the SMS option (not recommended for your security) when setting up two-step verification, better to opt for an authenticator app Like Microsoft Authenticator or Google Authenticator.

A tweet view counter?

According to Manchun Wong, the social network is also testing tweet view counter. It is a function similar to what we currently find in the “See tweet statistics” section of our profile, but in this case the data will be publicly available to all users. This new metric will be located at the bottom of the message box, to the right of the comment, retweet, and similar icons.

Twitter is trying to show Tweet views

Not sure if it will be seen only by the author or by everyone pic.twitter.com/G6N0SIjLbX

— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) 19 August 2022

Recall that Twitter has not officially announced the functions mentioned above. These have been discovered in their code, so we’ll have to wait to find out if they happen, and if they do, there’s a possibility they’ll be released with changes. Yes, the ex-CEO of Twitter, at least when it comes to verification, Jack Dorsey has expressed interest in verifying all users..

Pictures | Jeremy Bezanger (Unsplash) | excitement