A computing system comprising: one or more computer-readable media containing computer-executable instructions; one or more processors which, when executing the computer-executable instructions, cause the computing system to operate with an architecture that implements an application to provide rich contextual information to a user, the architecture of the computing system comprising: a user interface that receives user input from a user and provides output to the user, and wherein the user interface receives a request from a first user to access functionality of the application, and the request from the first user comprises information including encrypted information identifying the first user and unencrypted information identifying a second user that has consented to have social media information from an identity provider used by the application; and an interface, that sends the information to the identity provider, wherein the encrypted information identifying the first user can be decrypted by the identity provider but not by the application, wherein the identity provider maintains social media information for both the first user and the second user and wherein the identity provider is managed by an entity separate from the application, the interface receives from the identity provider social media information that is common (112, 234) between the first user and the second user, and the user interface provides at least a portion of the common social media information (112, 234) to the first user, wherein the portion of the common social media information is displayed at the application without the first user needing to authenticate to the application. one or more computer-readable media containing computer-executable instructions; one or more processors which, when executing the computer-executable instructions, cause the computing system to operate with an architecture that implements an application to provide rich contextual information to a user, the architecture of the computing system comprising: a user interface that receives user input from a user and provides output to the user, and wherein the user interface receives a request from a first user to access functionality of the application, and the request from the first user comprises information including encrypted information identifying the first user and unencrypted information identifying a second user that has consented to have social media information from an identity provider used by the application; and a user interface that receives user input from a user and provides output to the user, and wherein the user interface receives a request from a first user to access functionality of the application, and the request from the first user comprises information including encrypted information identifying the first user and unencrypted information identifying a second user that has consented to have social media information from an identity provider used by the application; and an interface, that sends the information to the identity provider, wherein the encrypted information identifying the first user can be decrypted by the identity provider but not by the application, wherein the identity provider maintains social media information for both the first user and the second user and wherein the identity provider is managed by an entity separate from the application, the interface receives from the identity provider social media information that is common (112, 234) between the first user and the second user, and the user interface provides at least a portion of the common social media information (112, 234) to the first user, wherein the portion of the common social media information is displayed at the application without the first user needing to authenticate to the application. the identity provider is managed by an entity separate from the application, the interface receives from the identity provider social media information that is common (112, 234) between the first user and the second user, and the user interface provides at least a portion of the common social media information (112, 234) to the first user, wherein the portion of the common social media information is displayed at the application without the first user needing to authenticate to the application.