What user data is processed during passkey authentication?

What Types of User Data Are Processed During Passkey Authentication?#

Passkey authentication is designed to minimize the use of sensitive user data, ensuring privacy and security. Understanding what data is processed during passkey creation and login helps organizations comply with privacy regulations while maintaining user trust.

Data Processed During Passkey Creation#

1. Email Address (Optional):

   • Used temporarily to identify the user during account linking.
   • Not stored permanently in privacy-conscious implementations.

2. Public Key:

   • Generated on the user’s device and sent to the server for storage.
   • This key is not sensitive as it cannot be used to reconstruct private information.

3. Device Information: Metadata such as device type or operating system may be processed to ensure compatibility and enhance security.

Data Processed During Passkey Login#

1. Credential Identifier: A unique identifier associated with the user’s passkey, used to retrieve the correct public key for verification.

2. Challenge Response:

   • A cryptographic signature generated by the user’s device to prove possession of the private key.
   • This ensures authentication without exposing sensitive data.

3. Optional PII (For Account Recovery): Some implementations may process temporary PII like email to identify user accounts, especially during recovery scenarios.

Privacy and Security Measures#

• No Permanent PII Storage: Passkey systems can operate without storing sensitive data permanently.
• Encryption: All data transmitted during authentication is encrypted to prevent interception.
• Data Minimization: Only the minimum required data is processed, adhering to privacy-by-design principles.

Summary of Data Handling in Passkeys#

Passkey systems prioritize privacy by minimizing the data processed during authentication. Key information like public keys and challenge responses are secure by design, while temporary PII use is strictly controlled. This approach ensures both compliance with privacy regulations and enhanced security for users.

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About Corbado

Corbado is the Authentication Intelligence Platform for CIAM teams running consumer authentication at scale. We help you see what IDP logs and generic analytics tools can't: where passkeys, passwords, OTP, social login and fallback journeys succeed, stall or fail, which devices and browsers create friction, and when an OS update silently breaks login. Two products: Corbado Observe layers process mining and observability across authentication journeys. Corbado Connect adds managed passkeys with analytics built in alongside your IDP. VicRoads runs passkeys for 5M+ users with Corbado (+80% passkey activation). Talk to a Passkey Expert →