With security being a major concern for Twitter over the years, they have been continuously making improvements and securing internal systems to tighten up the service. The https option has been available for a while, but only by typing it into a browser as such. Today, Twitter announced that they are making it an option for profiles and that they will eventually make it the default setting.
Under a user’s settings, they can now scroll to the bottom and select “Always use HTTPS.” Whenever the account is accessed from any device or Internet connection, it will automatically be secure. The goal is to prevent people’s activities on the site from being monitored, particularly when they are on public WiFi.
The setting is already standard on some specific areas on Twitter (such as the login screen) as well as applications, including the iPhone and iPad official Twitter apps. This news comes a week after a controversial move to tell developers to stop building Twitter clients. The timing and message couldn’t be more apparent: “Use official Twitter apps to access the site – they’re safer.”