Posts Tagged: blocking

Twitter appears to be blocking Google Voice numbers from SMS authentication

Twitter appears to have cut off Google Voice numbers from two-factor authentication (2FA). Although it's hardly the first company to block virtual phone numbers from SMS authentication, the change could be connected to CEO Elon Musk’s aggressive moves to snuff out bot accounts from the platform.

The new behavior, reported by 9to5Google, appears to block users from using a Google Voice number to authenticate their accounts. (I tried it today, and it rejected my Google Voice number.) Further, users previously authenticated with Google Voice could find themselves locked out of their accounts. Engadget reached out to Google to confirm, and we’ll update the story if we hear back. Twitter no longer has a PR department.

Since buying Twitter and taking over as CEO (a title he now says he’ll abandon once he finds a successor), Musk has been vocal about vanquishing bots from the platform. Earlier this month, Platformerreported the company blocked traffic from 30 mobile carriers worldwide — including networks in Russia, Indonesia, India and Malaysia. The move cut off access for thousands of accounts, including legitimate ones using those wireless carriers for 2FA. Musk accused the carriers of initiating the bogus texts to inflate what Twitter owed them contractually for SMS.

That report didn’t mention Google Voice, but anyone with a Gmail account can set up a free Google Voice number, making it an easy authentication tool for bots, scammers and spammers. Although it’s tempting to lump this move together with Musk’s seemingly erratic overhauls since taking over, it’s standard practice for apps ranging from financial institutions to dating apps to bar virtual numbers from 2FA.

If you set up your Twitter account with Google Voice authentication, you should be able to change the number without contacting support. You can go to Twitter Settings > Security and Account Access > Security > Two-Factor Authentication to remove that number and add your primary carrier line.

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Mozilla combines tracker blocking with paid, ad-free browsing

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Russia to start blocking major VPNs after censorship refusal

Russia's hatred for censorship-dodging VPNs is well-known, and it's now prepared to follow through on its . Telecoms oversight chief Alexander Zharov told Interfax that he expected to block nine major VPNs, including ExpressVPN and NordVPN, for refu…
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China is blocking Wikipedia in every language

China has blocked Wikipedia to varying degrees over the years, but now that censorship appears to be farther-reaching. A recent Open Observatory of Network Interference report has shown that China started blocking Wikipedia in all languages sometime…
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Sony was accidentally blocking Kodi on their smart TVs, but a fix is coming

Now that the CES fun is out of the way, it’s time to get back to the regular news, like major manufacturers screwing up simple things. That’s what we’re all here for, right? Anyway, turns out Sony has been blocking Kodi from being installed on their recent smart TVs running Android TV, and while it’s […]

Come comment on this article: Sony was accidentally blocking Kodi on their smart TVs, but a fix is coming

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Russia is blocking LinkedIn

While LinkedIn is still waiting for the ink to dry on Microsoft's $ 26.2 billion deal, the Russian government is gearing up to ban the professional networking site altogether. As the New York Times reports, a local court in Moscow has ruled that Linke…
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Samsung follows Apple’s lead, updates its Android browser with ad blocking

Ad blocking is no longer a luxury for just iPhone users. Samsung rolled out an update to its Android browser today, giving it the ability to block ads using third-party apps such as Adblock Free.

The post Samsung follows Apple’s lead, updates its Android browser with ad blocking appeared first on Digital Trends.

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