The Globe has launched a new feature on its login page. Social login provides a faster, easier way to sign in to your Globe and Mail account and an easy way to share your comments on your social networks. It works for both regular Globe and Mail accounts (required for posting comments) as well as Globe Unlimited accounts (to access an unlimited number of articles and premium content).
What are the benefits of using social login?
Many of our users are active on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and are often logged in to their preferred social network. Once linked to your Globe account, any of these social networks can be used to log you in to your Globe account simply by clicking on the applicable icon on the login page - no typing out your email and password required.
Social login also makes it easy to share your commenting activity on globeandmail.com to your social networks simply by checking the box under your preferred social network under the 'post comment' area. Your comment will only be shared on your social networks if these boxes are checked.
I just logged in with my Social Network account, why do I have to still log in to my Globe account?
If you see this message: "Your social network account is not associated with a Globe and Mail account. Please login or register", you'll need to log in with your usual email and password that you have registered with The Globe. This second step only needs to be done once. It's how we know which Globe and Mail account you want to link to your social network account. If you do not have an account with globeandmail.com, you must register for one before using social login.
What information is shared with The Globe when I use social login?
The information varies depending on the social network. For each social network account you connect, a permission screen provided by the social network will specify the information that is being shared. The Globe follows the same standard permissions that other apps use when connecting to social networks, and you have the ability to revoke access to your information through your social network's settings or through the 'edit profile' tab of your Globe account . It does not have access to post on your behalf or see your password. You can see our full terms and conditions here.
Why do you ask for permission to post tweets and LinkedIn updates on my behalf and to update my Twitter profile?
These permissions are required by Twitter and LinkedIn to allow comments you make on globeandmail.com to be shared with your social networks. You always have control over which comments are posted to your social networks via the checkboxes that appear below the comment box on an article page, and The Globe will never post to your social network or modify your profile without your consent.
What does it look like when I share a comment on my social networks?
Your comment will be posted to your Facebook page, LinkedIn profile or Twitter feed with a link to the story you are commenting on. Go ahead and try it!
How do I get my profile pic from my social network to show up on my Globe account?
Before implementing this feature, The Globe wants to make sure that readers are given control over which picture appears (and have the option to select "no picture"). Look for this feature in the future.
Note: These changes do not apply to registered users who log in to The Globe via the mobile site or apps. The log in process on mobile devices remains the same.