Apple announced a new way to login to apps at the WWDC 2019. ‘Sign in with Apple’ protects the user by letting users enter minimal data and thus effectively reduce the possibility of third-party tracking. Apple took some flak from the developer’s community after making ‘Sign in with Apple’ mandatory for all apps that use third-party login systems.
Apple’s new authentication method goes at loggerheads with Google and Facebook sign in. Despite the competition, Google product management director Mark Risher told The Verge that it is always better for users to use some form of a single sign-in button instead of separate credentials for each app.
Lauding the new authentication method by Apple, Richer said “I honestly do think this technology will be better for the internet and will make people much, much safer,” he further added that “Even if they’re clicking our competitors button when they’re logging into sites, that’s still way better than typing in a bespoke username and password, or more commonly, a recycled username and password.”
Google’s authentication system has been criticized in the recent past. When asked Risher said that this is mainly due to the fact that users are unaware of what happens behind the scenes. He also believes users are worried that their friends might be notified about their logging into an embarrassing site or an app.
Our Take
Most of us use a single sign-in button for accessing various services and apps. The main reason for doing so is the convenience it has to offer. It is cumbersome to remember passwords for different apps. Invariably we tend to reuse the password app and this in itself is a bad security practice.
‘Sign in with Apple’ goes beyond the usual authentication method and uses a different email address to communicate with the app. Meanwhile, the developers can focus on other things and stop worrying about managing and protecting a database of username and passwords. As far as Apple doesn’t abuse its dominant position, the new authentication feature seems like a much-needed addition.