Using 'Sign In With Google' Can Leave You With A Big Problem

If you're ever frequenting a website or service for the first time, it may seem like the more convenient option to simply sign in with your Google login info, if optional, rather than create an entirely new account, when prompted to. As opposed to entering in your email and other credentials, and then conjuring up a new password, you could easily type in pre-established identifiers and then move on with life, all while keeping your various accounts under the vast umbrella of a single login. This practice, however, can be detrimental, not only to your Google profile, but to all other accounts you've set up by using it to gain entry. Thus, if you've already used your Google account to create profiles on other websites, you may want to rethink that, along with these key Google account features you should change now.

Signing in with your Google account across various platforms puts each of these new logins in jeopardy in the event the former is compromised. If a hacker were to take control of your Google profile, then all other accounts you created with its single sign-on, or SSO function, would also be put at risk. Although Google has tight security protocols to prevent such devastating breaches (and Google just made using two-factor authentication a complete no-brainer), weaknesses in the websites which you used your Google login to access can also expose your personal data.

Malicious acts like phishing are not the only ways you can endanger your profiles. You may also lose access to individual accounts on websites you used Google's SSO features if the Alphabet-owned company ever bans your main account, or it is deleted. Thus, convenient as it may be, you're better off crafting individual logins for every site and service you use, rather than depend on Google.

There's no denying that, despite its advantages, using Google's SSO feature on other websites carry real risks, much like these few common mistakes that could cost you all your data. Some X users showed fear toward internet patrons' vulnerability, and how simple measures like Google logins can put them at risk. Others expressed a scathing distrust for Google, and reiterated it's a bad idea to trust the company with several instances of your data and identity. "Google should be an entrance, not the owner of your identity," one X user wrote.

It's an unavoidable reality that, to create a new account on any website or online service, you'll need to provide an email. However, rather than depend on a Gmail account and the same passwords for all profiles, you could diversify your logins by using multiple emails and unique codewords or passkeys for added security. You can also update your login info on other websites to add a new email and change your password, then remove their access from your Google account's third-party connections, to prevent direct access. So, while it's likely that Google users will have at least some of their third-party accounts linked to their Gmail, it's possible to spread them out across other services and methods without directly signing in through Google.