Social Authentication at the University of Auckland

What is social authentication?

Linking a social profile to your University account allows you to log in to University sites using your social credentials. When you attempt to login, we will check with the social provider to verify your identity.

Because social sites save your login session for a long time, we recommend that you only log in using social authentication from a computer that you own. Logging in from a shared computer may allow the next user to log in to your computer.

If you registered your University account using a social provider/ profile then the link is already established.

If you have an existing account, you can create a link by going to:

Go to the Social Media Profiles tab and click on the “Add link” button next to the provider you wish to link. You will be redirected to the social provider's webpage where you will need to enter your username and password then give consent to link your social profile with your university account. Once consent is accepted you will be taken back to your personal details on the university website.

You can unlink a profile on the same page that you can add links, by going to https://iam.auckland.ac.nz/identity

Go to the Social Media Profiles tab and click on the “Unlink” button next to the provider you wish to remove the link for.

If you wish to remove all of your linked social profiles, you can use the “Unlink all profiles” button.

Note:

  • Unlinking an account will remove the data we store about your social profile. You will no longer be able to log in using that profile.
  • Removing the link will only remove the data from the University systems and does not notify the social provider. When logging in to your social profile after removing the link from the University, you may still see an entry for the University connected with your social profile.

What social profile data does the university store?

If you register for a new account with the University, we will use the basic profile information to fill out the registration page. You will be able to see and correct the information gathered during the registration process.

We collect the following:

  • A unique ID that allows us to authenticate your account.
  • Your profile name (LinkedIn only)
  • A link to your public profile (LinkedIn only)
  • Your email address (Google only) 

Note: This information is deleted if and when you unlink your social profile from your university credentials. 

If you register for a new University account using RealMe and you have a verified RealMe account, we will store your legal name and date of birth as “RealMe verified identity”. This may save you from having to send documentation to the University to verify your identity during the application process. Click here for more information on registration with the university using your RealMe Verified identity.

The University currently supports Registration and linking with the following Social providers:

  • RealMe
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook 
  • Google