TikTok launches passkeys as an alternative to passwords 📱🗝️

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It’s official: TikTok has become the first major social network to adopt passkeys. Indeed, the ByteDance subsidiary has made the news official in a press release, announcing at the same time that it is joining the FIDO Alliance, an open industry association that aims to develop and promote new authentication standards to reduce the world’s dependence on traditional passwords.

TikTok stands out from its competitors✅

As we all know, fun, convenience and security are generally the features that attract users. So, to provide online users with greater security and combat piracy and cyber-attacks, web players and tech giants are developing security keys.

• What’s it all about?🤔

These new authentication methods replace passwords, enabling users to access their accounts more easily, more quickly and, above all, more securely.

© TikTok

Basically, passkeys replace the password we all know, while offering the same services in an improved way. The main advantage is that you no longer need to enter text to access a platform thanks to a security key, and you also benefit from double protection. ✌🏾

Unlike conventional passwords, which can easily be reused on other platforms, forgotten or even compromised, passkeys are based on encrypted biometric data already stored on your smartphone, such as fingerprints or facial features with Face ID on iPhone. They are therefore already present on your device and remain stored there, preventing any third party from accessing and exploiting them.

Source: TikTok

• Any limitations ?

The Chinese social network indicates that the passkeys are, for the moment, only available on iOS, and only in a few regions of the world: Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and South America.

As of today, iPhone users in these regions can opt for passkeys rather than passwords to access their accounts. It will be a few weeks before this is available in Europe and North America, as well as on Android.

How to set up a security key on TikTok ?

Just follow a few simple steps to activate the passkeys on your TikTok account when they become available:

• Go to Settings, then Account.
• Select Passkey.
• The social network will then ask you to activate Face ID or Touch ID on iOS, and fingerprints on Android to complete the activation.

Source: Tiktok

Note that passkeys are entirely optional, so you don’t have to activate them if you prefer to continue using your classic password.

What do you think?

Sources: TikTok, MCE-Ouest