Telefonica has announced new authentication partnerships with Google and TikTok that will use Open Gateway APIs to enhance user verification processes. The collaborations, revealed at MWC 2024, build upon the GSMA’s Open Gateway initiative, which continues to gain support among global telecom operators seeking to standardize mobile authentication services.
The partnership with TikTok introduces a Number Verification API that enables users to register using their mobile phone numbers without requiring SMS or third-party verification systems. The solution is scheduled to launch in Brazil during the first half of 2025, with plans for expansion to other strategic markets. The development comes as social media platforms face increasing regulatory pressure worldwide to implement stronger age verification measures.
Additionally, Telefonica and TikTok are developing an Age Verification API within the CAMARA framework, a standardized API specification supported by major telecom operators globally. The new API will incorporate functionalities from existing solutions like Number Verification and Know-Your-Customer (KYC) to enhance TikTok’s age assurance measures. The integration builds upon Telefonica’s experience with digital identity solutions, including its participation in European Union digital ID pilots.
On the Google front, Telefonica is collaborating with Google Cloud to integrate Open Gateway into Google Firebase, a platform that serves over 3 million active developers. Christiaan Brand from Google, who has been instrumental in the company’s push toward passwordless authentication, confirmed that both companies will work on incorporating phone number verification service through Open Gateway APIs.
The new authentication method addresses limitations of traditional one-time passwords (OTP) via SMS, which can create user friction through slow delivery and are vulnerable to phishing attacks. The Open Gateway Number Verification API enables transparent phone number sharing with user consent, eliminating the need for manual number entry or SMS code sharing. The approach matches broader industry efforts to enhance security while reducing friction, similar to recent developments in network API ecosystems for mobile authentication.
These partnerships represent part of Telefonica’s broader strategy to expand its digital services portfolio through strategic technological collaborations, positioning the company at the forefront of secure mobile identity solutions.
Sources: Telecom Lead, TipRanks, TelecomTV, Telefonica
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