Facebook will force you to use 2FA if you’re a person of interest

Meta-owned Facebook will be forcing users with a large number of followers to enable Facebook Protect. This feature is a password-strength check combined with 2-factor authentication (2FA). Highest-profile and highest-risk users will have until December 17 to enable this extra security layer. Otherwise, the company will lock them out of their accounts until they do so.

Facebook Protect was first tested in 2018. The company then expanded its availablity prior to the 2020 US elections. Right now, 1.5 million users have enabled Facebook Protect, with around two thirds of them newly enabling 2FA. Meta plans to make this feature available in over 50 countries by the end of 2021, as CNET reports.

UPDATE: Facebook confirms high profile accounts must enable 2FA OR it will lock them out of their accounts https://t.co/JVVjHSiUl7

— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) December 2, 2021

2FA is a security feature that adds a constantly changing condition to the login equation. The feature usually requires you to type a 6-digit number — that expires every 30 seconds — after you correctly enter your email/username and password. This makes hacking into your online accounts a tougher process. We advise all users to enable 2FA on their accounts, but people of interest on Facebook won’t have a say in the matter in about two weeks.

A few more screenshots

via @andrewcurryla pic.twitter.com/Z7vjXZ1Hdf

— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) December 1, 2021

This feature will mostly be forced upon human rights activists, government officials, journalists, and other Facebook users who are likely to get targeted by cybercriminals. Meta will be rolling it out in regions where it can offer support the most. That’s in addition to countries that have upcoming elections or other critical events. The warning is already showing up for the popular users, giving them two weeks before locking them out.

What do you think of Meta’s locking-out protective approach? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post Facebook will force you to use 2FA if you’re a person of interest appeared first on xda-developers.

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