For privacy, a Startup Introduces anonymous M-Pesa Transfers

In a recent development intended to stop spamming and identity theft incidents, M-Pesa users can now send money on the mobile platform while hiding their personal information from the recipient.

The recipient of an M-Pesa transfer will not be able to see the sender’s name or phone number thanks to an app called PrivPay, which was unveiled by the tech company Siri Yangu Limited. The feature, according to the developer, will be especially useful for donations and charitable contributions.

“In instances where one doesn’t have cash on them and is reluctant to send money because they’re uncomfortable sharing their phone number or name with the recipient, PrivPay comes in handy to help send money privately via M-Pesa,” said Siri Yangu product manager Sandra Mbuvi.

“With the growing interest in consumer and data protection solutions in Kenya, I believe this is such a timely innovation that will resonate with many who are keen on data privacy and safety, especially in mobile money transfers.”

However, there is an additional fee for the service, which only serves as a payment transmitter and selects the recipient’s M-Pesa wallet as the source of the transfer.

The additional fees are probably going to prevent those who value their privacy from using the service.

Users of mobile money are now at risk of having their personal information, including contact information, leaked and used for mass marketing.

The PrivPay app, which is free to download for both Android and iOS, currently only supports M-Pesa users, but Siri Yangu has revealed plans to expand the service to include Airtel Money and T-Kash in the near future.

When a transaction is successful, PrivPay sends the sender a message letting them know that the money has been delivered to the recipient, and M-Pesa sends a message letting them know that the user has made a payment to Siri Yangu Limited.

On the other hand, the recipient gets two messages: one from PrivPay and one from M-Pesa.

None of the messages reveal the sender’s identity if they are able to describe the payment.

Data privacy and protection solutions are in high demand as a result of recent cases of data breach that have given rise to spamming and scamming tactics. Techies are working nonstop to keep up with the latest trends.

In terms of the law, parliament approved a set of regulations last year that call for organizations that handle personal information as data controllers and data processors to register with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC).