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by viraptor 1373 days ago
This is very different than Facebook. This isn't a company that also happens to provide auth to get more tracking for their main product. The auth is the main service for okta and it's used by people making decision about whether they want to build this in-house or outsource it.
2 comments

Sure it's their current offering. But they want to be an "Identity Platform". They have just proven they're a political platform too.

> Why are we blocking Users from access to Okta Service? > In support of our customers’ and Okta’s existing contractual obligations with respect to U.S. export control laws, Okta customers are not permitted to access the Okta Service (including the Auth0 Platform) from Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, the regions of Crimea, Luhansk or Donetsk without prior approval from the U.S. Government. This restriction applies even if a User is temporarily visiting any of the aforementioned regions.

Total utter bs. Next they will start filtering your business, customers etc.. Then just stop all together, because there's always something not right within larger orgs.

> Can Okta handle these OFAC controls for me? > As a Customer, you are responsible for ensuring your own compliance with applicable laws. As outlined in the Okta Master Subscription Agreement, you must use the Okta Service in compliance with applicable laws.

How can you be responsible if you don't have the power to make decisions anymore? If they think they know better, they should face the consequences when something goes wrong (some north Korean login for example)

US export controls don't apply to other countries. Why don't they have foreign entities for this? Because even if they have, they don't want to, because they became a political vehicle. A political vehicle for the CEO who thinks he's smarter than anybody who has a different opinion or who wants more power/influence, or maybe some bribes, I mean lobbyists at the door.

These days everybody seems to be a politician, pro athlete, doctor, scientist, code, entrepreneur, etc.

Todd KcKinnon (CEO) :

> https://twitter.com/toddmckinnon/status/1544046909307752448 Things about abortion, inclusive blabla, political stuff

> https://twitter.com/toddmckinnon/status/1539642789864312834 gov identity, political stuff

He seems to have been corrupted right after his gov talk.

W E A K

There are two problems here

1) let a third party handle authentication (Code)

2) let a third party handle authentication (SSO)

Number 1: don't do that Number 2: Only do that if you are in control of SSO, or if you are very certain you won't have problems contacting the provider. (so not google in this case)

> Only do that if you are in control of SSO

In reality: you do this if TCO of doing it internally < TCO of doing it externally + risk. There's quite a few people who estimate the risk is worth it.