The hottest Identity Substack posts right now

Review of 'On Bigotry'

Theory Matters • 0 implied HN points • 22 Mar 26

🎭️ Culture Identity

Bigotry is a way of thinking that makes claims without evidence and can infect anyone regardless of class or education, so it adapts, hides or shouts and must be actively confronted rather than tolerated or negotiated with.
All forms of bigotry are interconnected—racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and xenophobia reinforce each other—so resisting one form means rejecting them all and refusing to accept ‘acceptable’ bigots.
Clear, practical lessons and definitions make it easier to recognise how bigotry shapes policy and everyday life, but there are unanswered questions about how people actually reform and how to respond when bigotry is openly displayed.

Blue Sky Authentication/Identity Starter Pack

ciamweekly • 0 implied HN points • 09 Jun 25

🕹 Technology Identity

Bluesky is a social platform that feels like an older version of Twitter, great for sharing knowledge and having discussions. It limits posts to 300 characters but allows threading for more detailed conversations.
There is a special feature called 'starter packs' that lets users quickly follow groups of experts within a specific topic, like authentication and identity, with just one click.
Following experts on Bluesky can provide valuable insights, like checklists for deploying passkeys or discussions on issues with SMS multi-factor authentication.

AuthOmnibus Review

ciamweekly • 0 implied HN points • 30 Jun 25

🕹 Technology Identity

AuthOmnibus is a great resource for learning about identity management. It helps people who are new to the topic find useful information easily.
The site is organized into different sections, making it easier to navigate and understand the material.
Alex Ward, the author, is an independent software consultant who focuses on sharing knowledge in the identity space. He's approachable and open for questions.

An AI Identity White Paper

ciamweekly • 0 implied HN points • 28 Jul 25

🕹 Technology Identity

AI identity management is becoming more important as technology advances. It's crucial to establish standards for how we manage identities in this space.
A white paper titled 'Authentic AI' discusses ways to incorporate authentication and authorization for AI agents. This could lead to better security and trust in AI systems.
Engaging in discussions with community groups like OpenID can foster innovation in AI identity management. Collaboration is key to addressing challenges in this area.

What is Progressive Registration?

ciamweekly • 0 implied HN points • 15 Dec 25

🕹 Technology Identity

Ask only the minimum information up front so people can get into your app quickly and with less friction.
Unlock useful features and then ask for specific data as needed — for example, convert an anonymous account, verify an email, collect profile details, or request payment info.
Use analytics and business rules to time these asks and build a glide path that earns user trust, increases account value, and helps you tune and monetize the product.

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Account Linking

ciamweekly • 0 implied HN points • 08 Dec 25

🕹 Technology Identity

Account linking is essential in CIAM to unify customer identities across multiple federated login methods so you avoid duplicate records, fragmented experiences, and weaker security.
Linking is technically hard because provider IDs differ and emails can change over time. Store provider-specific IDs and use email verification or user-managed merging to resolve identities safely.
Don’t always link every account — allow intentional identity fragmentation when users want separate data, and reduce friction by surfacing the user’s preferred login method on return.

Passwords Aren't Going Anywhere

ciamweekly • 0 implied HN points • 01 Dec 25

🕹 Technology Identity

Passwords are likely to remain an available way to access online accounts even as new methods like passkeys emerge.
They have deep historical roots—from ancient secret phrases to early multi-user computer systems—showing they’ve been relied on for a long time.
Passwords have practical advantages because they don’t depend on networks, third-party services, or specific devices, so they still work during outages or poor connectivity.

An Interview With Jen Schreiber

ciamweekly • 0 implied HN points • 24 Nov 25

🕹 Technology Identity

CIAM should bridge the gap between security best practices and everyday users by making the secure choice the easiest default, using things like transparent MFA, just-in-time access, and session expiry to guide safe behavior.
Modern CIAM is more complex and distributed across many systems and third parties, which widens the attack surface and makes rapid detection and response a core challenge.
The future of CIAM is continuous, real-time access evaluation and automated response, with standards like the Shared Signals Framework enabling fast event sharing so access can be adjusted or revoked instantly.

2025 Podcast Roundup

ciamweekly • 0 implied HN points • 05 Jan 26

🕹 Technology Identity

There’s no single perfect authentication solution—organizations must support multiple methods like passwords, passkeys, magic links, OTPs, and MFA to meet different user needs. Passkeys offer big security gains but still have UX and implementation friction, while magic links and OTPs face deliverability and browser issues, and shared password managers can introduce new risks.
AI agents are fast and unpredictable and become dangerous when they can access private data, read untrusted content, and communicate externally. Treat agents like users: apply least privilege, separate access for subagents and tools, and build on existing standards (like OAuth/MCP) for authentication and authorization.
A good developer environment is fast and low-latency, and many teams prefer local-first setups for quicker feedback and more direct security control. Make security part of the workflow by adding useful tests and developer-friendly security tools so they get used without slowing developers down.

The Abyss

The Weekly Dish • 0 implied HN points • 23 Jan 26

🎭️ Culture Identity

A fundamental break has happened — who we once were is finished. We are now living in a new, different reality.
The change feels like passing through the looking glass: everything is unfamiliar and possibly inverted. What once made sense no longer does.
This is a decisive, final rupture that must be acknowledged. There’s no going back to the way things were.

An Interview With Brian Bell

ciamweekly • 0 implied HN points • 02 Mar 26

🕹 Technology Identity

CIAM is the backbone of trust and revenue. It must enable easy, secure logins so users don’t abandon signups and make real-time decisions about who or what can do what.
Implementing CIAM is hard because it sits at the intersection of security, product, privacy, scale, and developer experience, and many vendors hide that complexity behind rigid, inflexible models. Teams need flexible, embeddable solutions that give developers control for migrations, legacy data, and rapid growth.
The future is CIAM as programmable, composable core infrastructure that supports fine-grained permissions and delegation for humans and AI agents. Developers will expect identity to fit their architecture and enable invisible trust at scale.

Your Parasocial Dream Girl Won't Save You

Mental Hellth • 64 likes • 22 Oct 24

🎭️ Culture Identity

Relying on someone as a 'dream girl' can lead to unrealistic expectations. It's important to seek self-acceptance rather than waiting for others to validate us.
When fans expect a public figure to represent their identity perfectly, it can create pressure and unhealthy relationships. Everyone is unique and can't fulfill the needs of others.
Parasocial relationships can sometimes make people forget about their own identity. It's essential to focus on self-discovery rather than depending on others for guidance.