Google to Replace Passwords with Trust Score API

Are you tired of continuously typing passwords? Well, there will be no passwords in future. Can this be real? That’s what Google – the search engine giant – is working on. Will it affect users’ privacy in a bad way? Only time will tell.

The organization has decided to replace the so called ‘passwords’ with a ‘Trust Score’ API that will calculate your trust score and then let you use the services online.

It is a fact that in this digital age, the importance of privacy and security cannot be denied. And passwords just act like a security guard for the internet users. Now, Google will use a user’s pattern of habits over the web, voice, location, internet usage timings, likes and dislikes, along with facial recognition technology to give a trust score to the user.

This particular Trust Score API is expected to be available by the end of this year for android smartphone users, who are currently using Android 5.0 and above. The sustainability tests of the API are underway. If the tests are successful, then Google is planning to market the Trust Score API early next year.

The Trust Score API was developed last year, with a codename of ‘Project Abacus’. The main aim of this API is to provide a password-less authentication method, for android users, who are currently using two-factor authentication.    

The Trust Score API is an advanced and improved version of Smart Lock. The Smart Lock app, locks your android phone screen when not in use. And when you reach a trusted location, the Smart Lock app automatically unlocks your phone, by using the location name and facial recognition feature.

This API will authenticate the user and help him use the internet without asking for any password or pin number. All the authentication work will be based on your Trust Score. But if your trust score is well below the expectation, the API will ask the user for a password.

Google holds the point of view that different apps will require different trust scores on part of the user. It may be the case that a user’s bank account will require a higher trust score to operate, as compared to the trust score required to using a gaming app.

How this Trust Score API will affect end-to-end encryption saga? Remember, Google has already joined the bandwagon with its very own Allo app.  

All we can say to android users: Embrace yourself for the password-less world. The clock is ticking!