Social Authentication for Customer Identity and Access Management

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As B2C and B2B SaaS application developers move ever-increasingly toward adopting more seamless user experiences, integrating what is typically referred to as Social authentication has gained significant traction.

I’m Peter Fernandez, and in this article, I’m going to be talking about how the Social approach enables users to log in to applications using their existing social media/platform accounts, streamlining the login process and enhancing security.

What is Social Authentication?

Social Authentication — a.k.a. Social, Social Login, Social Signin etc. — refers to the process of using an existing third-party account to log in to your SaaS application(s) via the use of the OIDC or OAuth 2.0 protocol. It offers a wide array of benefits for both a SaaS vendor and the users of an application, and significant advantages for companies seeking to optimize security, user experience, and operational efficiency as part of their CIAM integration.

Instead of creating a new username and password, users can authenticate their identity by using credentials from the widely-used social networks such as:

• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Google
• GitHub
• X
• etc.

With Social, a user provides permission for a SaaS application to access their basic profile information — such as name, email, and profile picture — stored on the social platform, and the SaaS-associated IdP will use the data returned to both authenticate the user and subsequently create the user associated account.

Improved User Experience

One of the most immediate benefits of Social authentication is the enhanced user experience. Traditional registration and login processes often require customers to create and remember a username and password — which can be a barrier to engagement. By offering users the option to log in with their social accounts, organizations simplify the process, leading to:

• Faster logins: Users don’t need to remember multiple sets of credentials for various services. Social login eliminates the need to create and manage additional passwords.
• Fewer friction points: Social authentication removes barriers to registration, reducing the likelihood of abandoned sign-ups or user frustration.
• Personalization: With social authentication, access to user profile data enables personalized experiences right from the outset.

This streamlined user experience can increase user acquisition rates, reduce abandonment, and improve customer retention.

Enhanced Security

Social authentication can also enhance security. The use of Strong Security Protocols like OIDC and OAuth2.0 means that social media platforms like Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn implement robust security practices — including two-factor authentication (2FA) and fraud detection. By relying on these services for authentication, businesses inherit the security features of these established platforms, often reducing the risk of account compromise.

Password fatigue is also a common problem in today’s digital landscape. With users managing dozens or even hundreds of passwords across various sites, the temptation to reuse passwords increases, which can lead to security vulnerabilities. The Reduced Password Fatigue provided by Social authentication eliminates the need for users to remember multiple passwords, mitigating the risks associated with poor password hygiene.

CIAM integrations that incorporate Social authentication can enforce additional policies such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and conditional access based on user risk profiles. This level of Access Control and Data Privacy is crucial when dealing with sensitive customer data.

Faster Onboarding and Registration

By allowing customers to authenticate via their existing social media accounts, businesses can significantly speed up the onboarding process. Users no longer need to fill out long registration forms with information like name, email address, and profile data — Social login automatically pre-fills much of this data.

This reduces friction for users and encourages quicker sign-up completion. A fast registration process improves conversion rates and user satisfaction, which can be vital for gaining a competitive advantage in e-commerce, online services, and mobile apps.

Lower Operational Costs

Integrating Social authentication can also help reduce operational costs. Users are less likely to forget their credentials when using social login because they are relying on a service they use frequently. This reduces the burden on customer support teams who would otherwise have to manage password resets or account recovery processes.

Social authentication also simplifies the process of managing user accounts, as businesses can rely on third-party platforms to handle the security aspects of authentication. This reduces the administrative overhead associated with maintaining user credentials and ensuring compliance with regulations like GDPR.

Access to Richer Customer Data

When users log in via social platforms like Google or LinkedIn, SaaS application vendors can access rich user profile data that can be used to enhance customer interactions. This data typically includes:

• Name and email address
• Profile pictures
• Location and social activity (e.g., LinkedIn job titles)
• Friend or connection data (if permitted)

This valuable information helps businesses create personalized experiences, offer targeted content, and improve marketing efforts. It also aids in customer segmentation and provides insights into user behaviour, which can drive better decision-making.

Improved Scalability and Flexibility

Social authentication platforms, such as Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn, are already designed to handle a massive volume of users, making them reliable and scalable solutions for handling authentication. By incorporating Social as part of your CIAM integration, supporting a larger number of user accounts and different authentication protocols becomes easier to achieve.

Additionally, CIAM systems that support multiple social login providers offer flexibility; if a customer decides to log in with Google but not Facebook, they can choose. Additionally leveraging SSO to create a single user account, means that the user experience remains consistent no matter which social platform they choose.