OpenID Raises Concerns About ‘Sign In With Apple’

As a way to provide users with an alternative to sign-in platforms from Google as well as Facebook, Apple debuted a new Sign In with Apple platform at WWDC 2019 in June. But the OpenID Foundation is posing questions about some of Apple’s decisions regarding the Sign In with Apple platform, 9to5Mac reported.

The foundation said in an open letter posted online, “OpenID Connect was developed by a large number of companies and industry experts within the OpenID Foundation (OIDF). OpenID Connect is a modern, widely-adopted identity protocol built on OAuth 2.0 that enables third-party login to applications in a standard way.”

While Apple has “largely adopted” OpenID Connect for its platform with Sign In with Apple, some differences do remain. And the foundation claims that the differences pose risks for privacy and security and limit the locations where users can use Sign In with Apple.

The foundation wrote, “It also places an unnecessary burden on developers of both OpenID Connect and Sign In with Apple. By closing the current gaps, Apple would be interoperable with widely-available OpenID Connect Relying Party software.” And among other measures, the organization invites Apple to “Join the OpenID Foundation.”

In separate recent news, reports surfaced that Apple plans to make its “Sign on with Apple” button more prominent, asking developers to put it on top of buttons from Facebook as well as Google. According to reports, Apple’s move could have impact, as users have the tendency to choose the top apps or default options on new devices.

At the same time, it was noted that Apple would require apps to also offer its button if they offer options to log in with Facebook and/or Google. Many users sign into apps through their accounts with Facebook and Google as it’s easier than creating and remembering another user name and password.