Twitter Blocks Google Voice Numbers from Two-Factor Authentication in SMS

Twitter reportedly blocked users from using Google Voice numbers for SMS two-factor authentication. No explanations were given by the company during the authentication process on why it does not support the virtual phone number anymore.

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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 2: The Twitter logo is posted on the exterior of Twitter headquarters on October 28, 2022 in San Francisco, California. Elon Musk closed the deal to purchase social media platform Twitter for $44 billion and has already fired several top executives.

Blocking Google Voice Numbers in SMS Authentication

Twitter removed Google Voice numbers from two-factor authentication (24A) in SMS, making the company the first to block virtual phone numbers from SMS authentication.

Engadget reported that users who authenticated with these numbers could lock their accounts. Although users can turn off "text message" 2FA from Setting if they are already logged in on another device. Here's a step-by-step process to change your numbers:

Twitter > Settings > Security and Account Access > Security > Two Factor Authentication > Remove Number > Add Primary Carrier Line

Once the number is removed, Twitter will warn users that the account needs authentication and will suggest signing up with their emails instead. From this, everything will normally work with a regular carrier number.

Possible Cause

This may be related to the goals of Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk in removing bot accounts from the platform. He has been vocal about this strategy ever since his first day as the Twitter Chief.

The platform also blocked traffic from 30 mobile carriers worldwide. According to Platformer's report, networks were removed from countries like Russia, Indonesia, India, and Malaysia. This removed access for thousands of accounts as well as users who authenticated their accounts using wireless carriers for 2FA.

As per Musk, these carriers initiated the bogus texts to what Twitter owed them contractually for SMS. Google Voice was not mentioned during this time. However, users with a Gmail account can set up a free Google Voice number, which makes it easier for them to authenticate their accounts as bots, scammers, and spammers.

9To5Google reported that Musk was present yesterday on Twitter Space to talk about financials and other issues regarding the company. He said that there are telecommunication companies who were not honest with him and in other parts of the world just to game the system.

"Running like two-factor authentication SMS texts over and over again, and just creating a zillion bot accounts to literally run up the tab so that Twitter would SMS text them. Twitter would just pay them millions of dollars," he added.

Just this year, Google Voice experienced an outage that affected outgoing calls for the majority of its users. Customers have been trying to place a call but failed to do so, and they were left instead with a "number is not in service" notice.

The outage lasted for an hour. The company failed to provide why this happened and how many customers were unable to play their calls during this time.