Facebook to add more account security features next year
Facebook Inc said on Tuesday it would start allowing users to set up physical security keys to verify their identity before logging into the social network’s mobile app, starting next year.
The company currently offers an option to require a hardware security key to connect to a desktop computer before each connection.
Users can purchase a hardware key from retailers and register it on Facebook, the company said, confirming an earlier report from the Axios news website.
The world’s largest social network said it also plans to expand Facebook Protect – its security program for high-profile accounts, including election candidates – to more types of accounts around the world in the year next.
The rollout of new security services follows the July hack of peer social network Twitter Inc that compromised many celebrity accounts, including those of President-elect Joe Biden and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Currently available in the United States, Facebook Protect allows politicians, government agencies, and election officials to implement additional security provisions such as two-factor authentication and real-time monitoring for potential hack threats.
It will now be available to users such as journalists and human rights activists who are more likely to be targeted by sophisticated hackers, Facebook added.
Reporting by Munsif Vengattil and Eva Mathews in Bengaluru.
