Facebook Introduces One-Time Passwords

angry tapir writes "Worried about logging into Facebook from a strange computer? There's now a way to get into the popular social network without entering your regular Facebook password. It's called a temporary password. To use it, users must list their mobile phone numbers with their Facebook accounts. They can then text a number from their phones and Facebook sends back a temporary password that is good for 20 minutes. The service will be available worldwide in the next few weeks."

Re:yeah, just give us your phone number

[TheKidWho]

I don't think you know what a pyramid scheme is...

Re:Great idea.

[Anonymous Coward]

Move to Sweden and you already have it :)

Re:Great idea.

[Rijnzael]

BOA does this already [bankofamerica.com] if you're in the US.

Re:Please tell me this isn't serious...

[Anonymous Coward]

More to the point, if you need your phone anyway, why don't you just browse facebook on your phone, like all my friends already do?

Re:Stolen Phone?

[Rhaban]

a lot of people who use have smartphones with a facebook app, so if someone steals the phone they already have access to your fb account.

Re:yeah, just give us your phone number

[TheKidWho]

I don't think you know what a Pyramid scheme is either...

Let's wikipedia it:

A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves promising participants payment primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, rather than from any real investment or sale of products or services to the public. Pyramid schemes are a form of fraud.

What you're describing on the other hand is just exploitation.

if you can't see how this pertains to facebook then you are too dull to be helped.

I've never heard that one before.

Re:Great idea.

[Rob the Bold]

Now can we please get one-time credit card authorisation?

Amex did this for a while about 10 years ago. I used it and liked it. Then it went away.

My Discover Card Does This ...

[eldavojohn]

Now can we please get one-time credit card authorization?

You mean like my Discover More Credit Card offers me [discovercard.com]?

You have the option of re-using the same one for a retailer or just continually requesting a new one if your dealings with them are infrequent or shady.

Re:Great idea.

[Anonymous Coward]

Citicards/Citibank does this.

Re:Great idea.

[narooze]

There is at least one Swedish company that does deny them, SF Bio (the largest movie theater chain in Sweden). However, in their case there is a good reason; to get the tickets you've bought online with your credit card you have to swipe the same card in their ticket printing machines. You could definitely come up with another way to get the tickets once they are bought, but as long as you have to have the credit card with which you paid to get the tickets, one-time cc numbers are probably out of the question.

Re:Stolen Phone?

[compro01]

If you've got a touchscreen phone, that PIN may be much less secure than you think.

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/10/08/11/128244/Touchscreens-Open-To-Smudge-Attacks [slashdot.org]

Re:Having to remember even more passwords

[pasamio]

The worst thing about VBV was not actually having it set up properly and then having a merchant require it compared to others that didn't. I had this happen to me when I was overseas trying to get internet and all of a sudden I got slammed by this Verified by VISA thing that wasn't setup and I could get internet to get the details I needed to get it set up (catch 22). Sounds like a good idea until it gets inconsistently applied in practice.

Re:Real advantage over SSL?

[Yer Mom]

Yes, but most Facebook users have already added their number to their profiles so their friends can call them...

Re:Phone Theft.

[Anonymous Coward]

And facebook gets your cellphone number. Good thing that fb is a reputable company ran by people of high integrity who would never abuse that information.

So use a Google Voice number, which includes text messaging for free.