To enhance the use of its web portal, gov.uk, the U.K. government is testing the use of its subscribers' social media logins as an authentication method.
Users' social media accounts are "potentially a useful source of evidence that an identity has been active over time," the site stated.
The portal, which is a gateway to numerous U.K. government services, tested the use of social login data for digital identities and found that, for the most part, using online accounts to authenticate identity proved a positive experience for its test audience of nearly 100 users.
Technology advancements have enhanced authentication, detecting whether a user is an actual person or not, the report said.
As more than half of U.K. adults have social media accounts, the site is hoping the authentication strategy could increase the use of its portal by adults by nine percent, and by 38 percent for the younger demographic.
