This document discusses how upcoming changes in browser technology aimed at improving user privacy could impact researchers' access to scholarly resources through federated authentication. The SeamlessAccess coalition is working to support continued identity federation by engaging with browser vendors, testing new proposed technologies like Federated Credentials Management, and raising awareness of these changes within the academic community. Resources are provided on understanding these changes and their potential effects.

1. Access, interrupted? How
changes in browser technology
may impact researchers’ access
to scholarly resources
Access Lab
20 March 2023
Hylke Koers, Program Director SeamlessAccess

2. 2
What is SeamlessAccess?
• Improve the access user experience,
both on- and off-campus, making it
easier for researchers to benefit
from federated authentication
• Enable continued identity federation
infrastructure and standards
development
The SeamlessAccess Coalition
Community-driven effort to support
seamless access to information
resources, scholarly collaboration
tools, and shared research
infrastructure.

3. 3
What is SeamlessAccess?
Standardized ”IdP discovery” or “Where
Are You From (WAYF)” service.
A persistence layer that remembers the
user’s chosen institute across sites
A standard, recognizable ‘Access’ button
that can be integrated on 3rd-party websites
1
2
3

4. 4
Data shows that SeamlessAccess boosts usage of federated
authentication
82% increase

5. Browser changes? What do you mean browser changes?
• Big-tech browser vendors (Google, Apple, Mozilla) are
currently working on some pretty fundamental changes
as to how browser engines work
• These changes are driven by considerations around
user privacy, aiming to prevent unsanctioned
tracking of users across the Internet.
• However, these changes are bound to also have a
major impact on access technologies:
• Hiding IP addresses
• Third-party access to cookies and other user data
• ... and more

6. When is this happening?
• Changes are driven by Big Tech parties and we don’t
know all the details and timelines.
• However – this is already happening today! E.g. Apple
and Google have started to hide IP addresses by
default for some users.

7. What is SeamlessAccess doing?
• Actively engaging with browser
vendors to explain academic access
use cases & requirements
• Test proposed new technologies
and solutions such as Federated
Credentials Management (FedCM)
• Raise awareness and inform our
community about these
developments
Resources:
• An emerging new technology for federated access:
Federated Credential Management (FedCM) [blog post]
• FAQ for Publishers [learning center]
• FAQ for Librarians [learning center]
• Access Apocalypse: Be Prepared for Anything [webinar,
NISO+]
• Web browsers, privacy, and your publishing platform
webinar [webinar, STM]
• Web browsers, privacy, and federated identity [blog post]
Webinar coming up (April 6):
Change ahead! How a new web standard will change
access to online scholarly resources

8. What can I do?
• Inform yourself and your organisations
(SeamlessAccess & STM have resources)
• Join the W3C Federated Identity Community Group:
https://www.w3.org/community/fed-id/
• Discuss with your customers
• Be prepared for user questions

9. @twittername linkedinprofile
facebookpage
Thank you!