Home-Based Authentication User Experience Guidelines for TV Everywhere

Transcription

1 Home-Based Authentication User Experience Guidelines for TV Everywhere OATC TV Everywhere Usability Working Group September 23, 2015 Version 1.0 ABSTRACT Home-based authentication (HBA) is a TV Everywhere feature aimed at reducing sign-in friction by removing the need for users to manually enter credentials while they are in their homes. This document from the OATC Usability Working Group, a subcommittee consisting of both content providers and distributors, outlines the guidelines for creating the best HBA user experience on programmers and distributors Web and mobile TVE properties.

2 Home-Based Authentication User Experience Guidelines for TV Everywhere 1 CONTENTS OVERVIEW... 2 GOALS... 2 TENETS... 3 GENERAL HBA USABILITY RECOMMENDED REQUIREMENTS... 3 CATEGORIZED HBA USABILITY USE CASE SCENARIOS SUMMARY LEGAL NOTICE... 17

3 Home-Based Authentication User Experience Guidelines for TV Everywhere 2 OVERVIEW H ome-based Authentication (a.k.a., HBA, In-Home Authentication and/or IP Authentication) will allow subscribers with video and Internet services through the same MVPD (e.g., cable/telco) or subscribers with two separate video and Internet providers (e.g., satellite TV customers) to access entitled TV Everywhere content via distributor or programmer properties without the need to sign in. Distributors will attempt to map the IP address of the user with the MAC address of distributor-provisioned modems (former case) or broadband connected set-top boxes (latter case) and, when these are the same, users will gain access to TVE entitled content. Access to personalized content such as recordings, queue, history, recommendations, etc. should continue to require users to authenticate via interactive sign-in (a.k.a., explicit sign in) to protect privacy unless users explicitly agree to share such information via HBA. Parental controls (PC/PCs) should be enforced when offered by a distributor and enabled on the account, although different levels of parental controls are available depending upon the distributor and programmer. The following are recommended practices for establishing the best home-based authentication user experience on TVE Websites and mobile apps. Implementation is voluntary and dependent upon distributor and programmer capabilities as well as contractual agreements. GOALS Reduce friction for customers to view entitled content Show more subscribers the value of their MVPD subscription Increase viewers, video views and hours consumed Reduce customer care contacts (e.g., to reset passwords)

4 Home-Based Authentication User Experience Guidelines for TV Everywhere 3 TENETS The experience should be simple, clear and easy for users to consume entitled content similar to the way they can turn on a STB and view video in the home Any differences between the typical interactive sign-in experience and that of an HBA user should be minimized or a highly considered choice. (e.g., personalized content should be restricted for users signed in through HBA) Users privacy must be maintained Any legal or contractual restrictions must be enforced (e.g., EULA) Parental controls, when supported via a bilateral agreement between distributor and programmer, should continue to be enforced for HBA users 1 GENERAL HBA USABILITY RECOMMENDED REQUIREMENTS In addition to standard TVE requirements 1. Branding 1.1. Automatic MVPD discovery Users accessing a TVE property likely will need to confirm their Pay TV provider to complete HBA authentication. A background check, based on a best guess via IP address, will attempt to confirm video subscription with the distributor before a user is presented with the MVPD picker 2. If the background check is positive, the distributor is discovered automatically and the user must confirm the selection This process may manifest itself through an optimized MVPD picker (i.e., one MVPD logo) provided that the programmer can achieve a success rate above 90% of displaying the user s 1 Parental controls are an extensive topic that will be covered more thoroughly in a separate document. 2 The background check is to protect against cases where users have video service through a satellite provider such as DirecTV

5 Home-Based Authentication User Experience Guidelines for TV Everywhere 4 correct distributor for all authentication attempts over a rolling 24 hours. As a fallback option, the programmer could list only the distributors available in a geographic area A mechanism (e.g., dropdown list, search box, etc.) should appear in case the automatic MVPD discovery fails Users will not need to re-confirm their MVPD again until the TTL expires. (Please note that TTL lengths and behavior, e.g., fixed TTL vs. rolling TTL, are outside the scope of this document and must be determined through a bilateral agreement between distributor and programmer.) 1.2. Interstitial/bumper To ensure users are aware that access to the TVE content in question is an included benefit of their Pay-TV service and a partnership between a distributor and a programmer rather than an over-the-top offer, users should see an MVPD-branded interstitial/bumper after a successful HBA instance, indicating that instant access to the content is made available via their Pay-TV provider Interstitial/bumper should appear in a manner and frequency as determined in a bilateral agreement between distributor and programmer (e.g., upon the first video playback at the start of every new session and every 24 hours thereafter for a continuous session) Development and display of the interstitial/bumper is also determined through a bilateral agreement between distributor and programmer Interstitial/bumper should include HBA iconography (see section 3.0) Interstitial/bumper should include messaging and an interactive access point to FAQs.

6 Home-Based Authentication User Experience Guidelines for TV Everywhere The FAQ link should direct users to a FAQ page or section of TVE FAQs on the distributor s website that provides information specifically on HBA and how it interacts with certain features (e.g., how to set parental controls, how unsecured Wi-Fi networks could allow others to get access to video through a user s account, etc.) Interstitial/bumper should appear for long enough to be perceived (e.g. at least 3-5 seconds) See Figure 1 for an example interstitial. 3 Figure 1, Example Interstitial (FPO) 3 All images in this document represent treatments that distributors and programmers have used in previous iterations of HBA and are not meant to serve as design requirements for future HBA implementations that may result from following the guidelines contained in this document.

7 Home-Based Authentication User Experience Guidelines for TV Everywhere Successful authentication notice To ensure that users understand they have been automatically authenticated via HBA, the programmer should notify users that they have been authenticated automatically via their in-home connection The successful authentication notice should appear at the start of every new authenticated session Session length is dependent upon the authentication and authorization time-to-live tokens and are determined in a bilateral agreement between distributor and programmer See Figure 2 for an example authentication notice. Figure 2, Example successful authentication notice (FPO) 2. Messaging and iconography 2.1. The first time a user is authenticated via HBA and at periodic intervals thereafter the user should get an overlay with a brief message describing HBA with links to FAQs, HBA settings and HBA terms and conditions.

8 Home-Based Authentication User Experience Guidelines for TV Everywhere Periodic messaging intervals will be determined in a bilateral agreement between distributor and programmer (e.g., when a new token is issued or terms and conditions change) Taking an action on any of the links directs the user to the distributor s website Similar to the link in the interstitial, the FAQ link should direct users to a FAQ page or section of TVE FAQs on the distributor s website that provides information specifically on HBA and how it interacts with certain features (e.g., parental controls, unsecured Wi-Fi networks, etc.) The HBA settings link should direct users to a page on the distributor s website that allows users to opt-out of HBA for all HBA-enabled websites and apps associated with that distributor The terms and conditions link should direct users to a terms and conditions page on the distributor s website where TVE and HBA terms and conditions should be defined The user could dismiss the message (e.g., closing the box or choosing continue ) to begin their viewing experience If deemed necessary, clicking on continue can be stated to constitute acceptance of HBA terms and conditions. The distributor should consider including an appropriate mechanism and messaging to secure acceptance of HBA terms and conditions or to allow opt-out of HBA at this step Actual messaging TBD by the distributor See Figure 3 for an example tool tip and messaging. 3. Iconography 4 It is recommended that FAQ links be passed from distributors to programmers via authentication flows to reduce burden on programmers and prevent stale links.

9 Home-Based Authentication User Experience Guidelines for TV Everywhere Once successfully authenticated via HBA at the household level, the user should see an icon and/or co-branding atop the browser or application indicating they have been granted access through an automated process 5. The icon should persist throughout the session and will remain in place for subsequent sessions In order for programmer to display the HBA icon, the distributor must pass a parameter to the programmer during the authentication workflow indicating the user s sign-in method (HBA, interactive sign-in or SSO) Iconography should be consistent across industry and follow CTAM recommendation of circle with a checkmark See Figure 3 for an example HBA notification icon. 5 Actual implementation determined by bilateral agreement between distributor and programmer. 6 See for example and icon assets.

10 Home-Based Authentication User Experience Guidelines for TV Everywhere 9 Figure 3: Example MVPD HBA Notification (FPO) 3.4. The first time a user is authenticated via HBA, the distributor will send an to the service-level address of the customer explaining HBA and, for distributors who offer parental controls, the means for setting up PCs Service-level address is the address where customers receive their account and billing information Branding, messaging and iconography that will be used within TVE websites and mobile applications, should appear within the so that the user learns to associate it with HBA The should include the ability to be translated into Spanish See Figure 4 for an example .

11 Home-Based Authentication User Experience Guidelines for TV Everywhere 10 Figure 4: Example HBA Notification (FPO) 3.7. In the instance that a user is unable to be automatically authenticated via HBA, the service will fail to default sign-in (a.k.a, interactive sign-in). The user will not see any messaging indicating that HBA did not work and will need to authenticate through interactive sign-in to gain access to TVE content Failing to the default sign-in state instead of failing closed eliminates the need for the programmer to send the distributor an explicit failure/reject indicator. 4. Personalized features 4.1. Unless explicitly authorized by users and a bilateral agreement between distributor and programmer, users must authenticate through interactive sign-in (i.e., explicitly enter a user name and password) to gain access to

12 Home-Based Authentication User Experience Guidelines for TV Everywhere 11 personalized features, such as account settings, profiles, content history, recommendations, watchlists, queue, favorites, etc. 5. Time-to-live tokens 5.1. Users who remove the device from the home may stay automatically signed in for a length of time based on the platform on which they are accessing the TVE property. Actual TTL durations will be determined by a bilateral agreement between distributor and programmer and may vary by sign-in type (HBA, interactive, single sign-on) and platform (web, mobile and connected devices). 6. Single Sign On 6.1. As outlined in the technical committee s Defining TVE Home-Based Authentication Use Cases and Requirements 7 (Section 2b. MVPD allows household account use for HBA for specific channels), it is recommended that SSO/cross-domain authentication be disabled for users traveling from an HBA-enabled TVE website to a non-hba enabled TVE website. Users visiting the non-hba enabled website authenticate through interactive sign-in Users who authenticate through interactive sign-in on an HBA-enabled website to access personalized content will still be passively authenticated via SSO on a non-hba enabled website where applicable. CATEGORIZED HBA USABILITY USE CASE SCENARIOS Mapped to Categorized HBA Use Case Scenarios in technical committee s Defining TVE Home-Based Authentication Use Cases and Requirements document 7 OATC, Defining TVE Home-Based Authentication Use Cases and Requirements, Version 1.0; July 11, 2014.

13 Home-Based Authentication User Experience Guidelines for TV Everywhere Unlimited household access scenarios This group of use cases enables MVPDs that don t support subaccounts or MVPDs that aren t worried about restrictions like parental controls to simply assign the single supported account identifier in the HBA flow. MVPDs that lack subaccounts and parental control enforcement should enable HBA at the household level. 8 The general requirements for branding, messaging, iconography, time-to-live tokens and single sign-on should still be followed. 2. Basic restriction and subaccount scenarios This group of use cases enables basic restrictions and/or subaccounts. MVPDs that lack subaccounts but allow parental control enforcement at the channel level (i.e., channel blocks) should enable HBA at the household level. The general requirements for branding, iconography, time-to-live tokens and single sign-on should still be followed. Upon selecting a piece of content from a network that is blocked by the account, users encounter messaging (e.g., overlay, pop-up window) served by the distributor that explains the need to remove the channel block. The messaging overlay/window should contain a link to the distributor s FAQs as well as a link to the distributor s parental controls settings page where users can remove the channel block after signing in through interactive signin. o See Figure 5 for example pop-up window 8 Parental controls will be covered in a separate OATC document

14 Home-Based Authentication User Experience Guidelines for TV Everywhere 13 Figure 5: Example of Parental Control messaging served by distributor (FPO) o Users will be able to access content once they navigate back to the programmer property. Users on desktop web should be signed in via SSO. Users on mobile devices enter credentials via interactive sign-in if SSO is unavailable on that mobile device. o Upon a repeat visit to the programmer property, the user will be automatically authenticated via HBA and will be able to access the content provided they do not re-apply the channel block in between sessions. 3. Full-featured restrictions and subaccount scenarios This group of use cases enables full-featured restrictions and override workflows. The experience options range from allowing users a one-time opt-in to HBA by accepting terms to full featured restrictions with overrides. Distributors that enable full-featured restrictions such as subaccounts and parental controls should enable HBA at the household level when the user first visits a TVE property. Users of distributors that offer parental control-pin overrides when authenticated via HBA at the household level should be able to access

15 Home-Based Authentication User Experience Guidelines for TV Everywhere 14 restricted content after entering a valid PIN. Upon selecting a piece of content that has a rating higher than the maximum parental control rating allowed for the account, users encounter messaging served by the distributor that explains the need to enter a PIN. That messaging window should contain a link to the distributor s FAQs as well as a link to the distributor s parental controls settings page where users can change their PCs after signing in through interactive sign-in. o See Figure 5 (above) for an example. Users gain access to their individual accounts/personalized experience in one of two ways: 1) The distributor makes household account and sub-account information available to the programmer allowing the user to choose an account from a user profile picker module and enter a PIN within the programmer s experience; or 2) The user returns to the distributor s property to choose an account/profile and navigates back to the programmer s property where the account/profile is then recognized. o Once successfully authenticated via HBA at the subaccount level, users should see an icon atop the browser or application indicating they have been granted access to their subaccount through an automated process. The icon should live in conjunction to pre-established HBA icon that represents automatic authentication at the household level, persists throughout the session and remains in place for subsequent sessions. Actual iconography TBD. Despite the technological feasibility to authenticate subaccounts via HBA based on user profiles, it is recommended that users authenticate via

16 Home-Based Authentication User Experience Guidelines for TV Everywhere 15 interactive sign-in to gain access to personalized features if the distributor and/or programmer do not support PIN functionality. For MVPDs that offer parental control-pin overrides when authenticated via HBA at the subaccount level, users should be able to access restricted content via interactive sign-in. Upon selecting a piece of content that has a rating higher than the maximum parental control on the account, users should encounter messaging that explains the need to enter credentials. That messaging window should contain a link to the distributor s FAQs as well as a link to the distributor s parental controls setting page where users can change their settings. o While a PIN is necessary to protect the privacy of the subaccount, the entering of a user name and password ensures that parental controls, if established for the subaccount, are also enforced. The assumption here is that users who took the time to set up parental controls for subaccount won t see interactive sign-in as a barrier to accessing restricted content. 4. Revert to credential authentication This group of use cases identifies when HBA can t yet be used, so it s recommended to fall back to standard credential authentication In use cases where HBA is not available, distributors and programmers should consult the non-hba authentication requirements previously recommended by the OATC Usability Working Group. SUMMARY For HBA to serve as an effective tool for increasing TVE adoption, the industry would benefit from recommendations that increase consumer understanding

17 Home-Based Authentication User Experience Guidelines for TV Everywhere 16 and meet the needs of both distributors and programmers. The OATC Usability Working Group seeks to establish guidelines by applying common branding, messaging, iconography and single sign-on standards that suit TVE experiences across platforms. While the OATC s technical committee has outlined additional technical differences within the four main use cases presented here, the UWG, aims to keep some those technological differences transparent to the user in order to provide the best possible TVE experience.

18 Home-Based Authentication User Experience Guidelines for TV Everywhere 17 LEGAL NOTICE Copyright Open Authentication Technology Committee All rights reserved. This recommended practice ( Recommended Practice ) may be copied in its entirety and displayed or distributed to others, provided that the above copyright notice and this legal notice section are preserved on all such copies. No license is granted to modify the Recommended Practice. This recommended practice is provided on an as-is basis, without any express or implied warranty of any kind, including without limitation any warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement of any party s intellectual property. OATC hereby disclaims any and all liability for personal injury or property or other damage, of any nature whatsoever, whether special, indirect, consequential or compensatory, directly or indirectly resulting from the publication or use of, or any reliance upon, this recommended practice. Implementation of this Recommended Practice is voluntary. Subject to the rights granted to OATC s members under the OATC IPR Policy, no rights or licenses under any patent claims are granted hereby. OATC takes no position regarding the validity or scope of any intellectual property or other rights that might be claimed to be infringed by the implementation of this Recommended Practice or the extent to which any license under such rights might or might not be available, and OATC does not represent that it has made any effort to identify any such rights or conduct any inquiries into the validity or scope of any such rights.