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MyOpenID, a major provider of open source authentication system OpenID, is set to close for good on February 1st 2014.

The free service, provided by self-styled “social login” firm Janrain, was first launched back in 2006 as a way for users to authenticate easily by using just one log-in across a range of sites.

However, the number of sites supporting OpenID has dwindled in recent years as users increasingly use their Google or Facebook credentials to log-in to their favourite sites and services.

In an email to users spotted by The Reg, Janrain CEO Larry Drebes claimed that social network and email providers including Facebook, Google, Twitter, LinkedIn and Yahoo! have effectively beaten OpenID at its own game by adopting open identity standards.

He continued with the following:

And now, billions of people who have created accounts with these services can use their identities to easily register and login to sites across the web in the way myOpenID was intended.

By 2009 it had become obvious that the vast majority of consumers would prefer to utilise an existing identity from a recognised provider rather than create their own myOpenID account. As a result, our business focus changed to address this desire, and we introduced social login technology. While the technology is slightly different from where we were in 2006, I’m confident that we are still delivering on our initial promise – that people should take control of their online identity and are empowered to carry those identities with them as they navigate the web.

Debes said myOpenID would continue until the February 2014 deadline to allow any remaining users to “begin using other identities” across their favourite sites. ®

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