Log Me In with Facebook
We are living in a digital world. How we get our news, pay our bills, keep in touch with friends, and run our business has changed dramatically since shifting online. With this shift comes multiple websites requiring us to log in. This results in the need to create and remember numerous usernames, passwords, and online profiles. Website managers have started to realize the growing frustration users are having with creating yet another set of log in credentials. Their solution is the adoption of the Single Sign On (SSO) method, which is the ability to log in using existing credentials from an established account like Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google. Before you log in with SSO, you should understand what you give up for the convenience of using it. All of the information in your online profile (age, hobbies, friends, etc.) for that existing account may be shared with the new website.
You'll start seeing SSO more and more often when logging in to websites. CNN.com and Bing both require an account to access select features and both have adopted the SSO method. CNN.com requires you to sign in to view full news stories, but allows you to log in with your Facebook account instead of creating a new account with them. Brian Kissel, Chief Executive of Janrain, an out-of-the-box SSO solution, said '...publishers are jumping on-board as they realize it's valuable to know who their readers are and that it's much easier to convince them to sign in with an existing account than to create a new one.'
When deciding whether to create yet another website account profile or log in using your Facebook credentials, make sure you consider the pros and cons.
One less profile
When you use an existing account to log in to a website it means one less username and password combination you have to create (and remember!). It's also one less profile of personal information you have to fill out.
Security
Your personal and sensitive information needs to be protected from hackers and online identity theft. Larger, established companies like Google have more resources to dedicate to securing your information than a small company or blog site.
Information Sharing
The two websites may be sharing information such as personal information in your profile, statistics about your online habits, and contact information of your friends. This is how websites like Bing are able to give you personalized search results; they base the results off of reviews made by your Facebook friends. Be aware of privacy policies and site permissions. This is often what makes people hesitate the most when considering SSO, so be sure the information you give out is within your comfort zone.
Matching Profiles
Each website collects different information for online profiles based on marketing goals and methods for returning personalized content. Facebook collects information about your friends, school history, and hometown, but LinkedIn is more interested in information about past work experiences, school history, and who you know professionally. If you use SSO, be cognizant of which existing account you link to what type of website. The existing online profile you use will determine the personalized content you get back.
Each of these points can be taken as a positive or a negative; your decision has to be based on what information you're comfortable giving out for the convenience of logging in with an existing account. It's important that you understand the privacy and security rules each website has when entering your personal information. SSO is an attempt to make the ever-evolving and complicated online landscape more simplistic, but for that convenience we have to give up a prized possession - our personal information.