This archive report was first published on 26 July 2021.
Published on July 26, 2021, Safaricom announced plans to start blocking the contact details of Lipa na M-Pesa users.
The move aims to curb the trading of user information to advertisers or fraudsters.
Under the new system, the firm will only display the first and last part of the mobile phone number while concealing the identity of the user once a transaction is completed.
"The plan is to hide your number where it will display say the first two or three numbers and the last ones and block out the middle, just the way banks do," an executive at Safaricom was quoted as saying.
Launched in 2012, Lipa Na M-Pesa has seen impressive growth, with over 200,000 businesses using the service as of September 2020.
According to Safaricom chief executive officer Peter Ndegwa, "The mobile phone has today become the most preferred alternative to cash and its popularity only continues to grow. More than ever, an increasing number of businesses are discovering the numerous advantages of cashless payments resulting in high growth for Lipa Na M-PESA. We continue to add more features and tools with a goal of empowering our business customers to grow and better manage their businesses,"
