With protection of personal data a growing concern for internet users, DENIC has developed their DENIC ID, based on the open standard ID4me. As DENIC puts it, DENIC ID puts users in control of their digital identity. It allows users to have secure, data privacy-compliant, universal logins.
A DENIC ID, the first example of a market-ready solution utilising ID4me, authorises the user to keeping track of multiple logins where ID4me-compatible logins are accepted. It is left entirely to the user to decide what data they want to share with the respective provider when logging in.
So where do domain names come into it? The login is domain-based and completely independent of social media. DENIC ID opens up a new possibility of using domains and gives reason to customers who do not yet have a website or their own e-mail domain to register a domain. The identifier (username) is based on a domain (e.g. name.domainname.de), and the user can personally determine who shall be the responsible identity provider. When logging in to a website or social media service that accepts ID4me, you enter your domain name and password. There’s no need to remember multiple logins and passwords.
It’s not just social media. For online businesses each customer needs to sign up, providing their personal details, but all too often customers abort the registration process. One of the first to allow access to services based on ID4me such as DENIC ID is WordPress.
The latest provider to sign up to utilise ID4me is Minds + Machines who operate 30 new gTLDs with almost 2 million domains under management.