Passkeys were invented by engineers with zero understanding of consumer brain
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Passkeys confuse consumers because engineers prioritized security over user understanding.
Nikita Bier argues that passkeys were created by security engineers who ignored consumer psychology, leaving users to produce 'magic fairy dust' for login. The post and replies highlight confusion: users don't know where passkeys live (phone, browser, OS, or body) and find them opaque. A tech CEO confesses he doesn't understand them. Critics note passkeys tie logins to big tech ecosystems via device attestation, and losing a device can lock you out. The technology is compared to SSH keys, but without the portability and user control.
What commenters are saying
Commenters are deeply skeptical of passkeys, with two main camps: those who see them as a security improvement (like SSH keys but for average users) and those who view them as a usability disaster and a lock-in to big tech. A top comment warns that device attestation allows services to block non-big-tech passkey clients, citing a 'naughty clients' list. Others point out practical issues: passkeys are not portable across devices or browsers, unlike SSH keys, and setup flows are confusing. One user with 26 years in tech cannot figure out how to use passkeys across multiple devices and browsers.