We’re all managed by a handful of centralized tech-giants like Google, Facebook, and Twitter. Many of us use these platforms to log in to various websites because it’s convenient and reduces the hassle of remembering multiple passwords. But it comes with significant drawbacks that compromise both our privacy, freedom and control over personal data. Here are some of the reasons why relying on centralized services for authentication is problematic:
Privacy Concerns: These platforms track your online activities, logging where and when you access different services. This data collection infringes on your privacy and can be used in ways you might not approve of.
Web Tracking: Beyond just logging you in, centralized services often monitor your browsing habits across the web, building detailed profiles that are used for targeted advertising or sold to third parties.
Loss of Control: Your access to third-party sites is ultimately controlled by these central authorities. If they decide to suspend or delete your account, you lose access to all connected services without recourse.
Service Dependency: If a centralized platform decides to de-platform a service you use, you can no longer access it through your usual login, disrupting your online activities.
Data "Sharing": You have minimal control over what personal information is shared with third parties. Often, more data than necessary is shared, and you have little say or insight into how it's used, stored or who it is resold to.
But it doesn't have to be like this. Homebase YouAuth is a protocol designed to address the shortcomings of centralized authentication. Here are some of the benefits:
- Self-Sovereign Authentication: Use your own domain-based identity to log in to third-party sites, eliminating dependence on centralized platforms.
- Controlled Authorization: You decide exactly what personal information you share with each service, ensuring they only receive what's necessary.
- Permission Management: You set terms on how your data can be used, giving you control over its lifecycle and preventing misuse.
- Data Minimization: The risk of data breaches is reduced by allowing services to operate without storing your personal information long-term.
- No Centralized Tracking: Enjoy true privacy with zero involvement from tracking entities, as YouAuth operates without centralized oversight.
- Easy: While the underlying technology is sophisticated, YouAuth is designed to be user-friendly and indistinguishable from how e.g. Google or Twitter logins work.
YouAuth is already used between all Homebase identities and Homebase apps. For example, when you login to your Homebase photo or chat apps it's using YouAuth. Someday in the future, you'll hopefully begin to see external sites offering you a login via Homebase.
Technical Details
YouAuth Details
- Advanced Encryption: Uses ECC and AES encryption to protect data exchanges.
- User Consent: Authentication requires explicit approval, putting you in control.
- Short-Lived Tokens: Minimizes risk through temporary, single-use authentication codes.
- Mutual Verification: Both your identity host and the service can verify each other, preventing impersonation and man-in-the-middle attacks.
Comparing YouAuth with OAuth
OAuth is a widely used authorization framework, but it relies on centralized servers, which introduces the very issues YouAuth aims to eliminate.
- Decentralization: YouAuth removes the central authority, reducing points of failure and control.
- Enhanced Privacy: By not routing authentication through third-party servers, your activities aren't tracked or logged by external entities.
- Greater Control: You decide what data to share, and services receive only what's essential for their operation.
Looking Ahead: A Decentralized Future
Here are some of the roadmap items ahead of us:
- Smart Contracts for Permissions: Introduce smart contracts that accompany any content or permissions you grant to third parties, explicitly defining how your data can be used, for how long, and under what conditions. This ensures transparent and enforceable agreements that protect your rights and preferences.
- Cookie Preferences: Your identity has the potential to anonymously convey your cookie preferences to websites, thus potentially eliminating the annoying cookie pop-ups entirely.
Conclusion
Homebase’s YouAuth represents a significant step toward a more private, secure, and user-centric internet. By embracing decentralization and giving control back to individuals, we can build an online world where privacy doesn’t have to be compromised for convenience. (edited)
