Device Authority for Authenticating a User of an Online Service

1 . A method, at a device authority, for authenticating a user of a third party online service, comprising steps for:

receiving a device identifier and registration information from a client device of the user, the registration information comprising data that links the device identifier with at least one third-party account;

gathering reputational information regarding the at least one third-party account from one or more reputational sources;

associating the reputational information with the device identifier;

verifying, in response to receiving a reputation request regarding the at least one third-party account, a request source of the reputation request; and

providing, in response to verification of the request source, the reputational information to the request source.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gathering step comprises obtaining a credit score regarding a credit score regarding the user and associating the credit score with the device identifier.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the credit score comprises a FICO score.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein gathering comprises obtaining any credit scores previously associated with the device identifier.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein gathering comprises receiving the reputational information from the service.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reputation request comprises the device identifier of the client device.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the request source comprises the service.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reputational information comprises a warning about the user.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the warning comprises instructions to ban at least one of the at least one third-party account and the client device.

10 . A method, at an online service provider, for authenticating a user of a third party online service, comprising:

sending a reputation request for reputational information regarding a service account to a device authority, the request comprising a device identifier associated with the service account;

receiving, in response to the device authority verifying the reputation request, the reputational information; and

providing for display the reputational information regarding the service account to one or more other users of the service.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein receiving the reputational information comprises receiving at least one credit score associated with the device identifier.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein receiving the reputational information comprises receiving the reputational information from the device authority.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein receiving the reputational information comprises receiving the reputational information from a remote a server associated with the device authority.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the reputational information comprises a warning about the user.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising banning at least one of the service account and a client device associated with the device identifier.

16 . A system for authenticating a user of a third party online service, comprising:

a server connected to a computer network, the server being adapted to provide functions of:

receiving a device identifier and a registration information from a client device of the user, the registration information comprising data that links the device identifier with at least one third-party account;

gathering reputational information regarding the at least one third-party account from one or more reputational sources;

associating the reputational information with the device identifier;

verifying, in response to receiving a reputation request regarding the at least one third-party account, a request source of the reputation request; and

providing, in response to verification of the request source, the reputational information to the request source.