Safaricom is set to launch a privacy enhancement that will give users more control over their personal information during mobile money transactions, as M-Pesa marks its 19th anniversary this month.
In a statement on March 11, Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndegwa, said the new feature, set to launch before the end of the month, will limit the personal details displayed to recipients in Send Money transactions.
Instead of showing a sender’s full name and mobile number by default, recipients will now see only minimal identifying details. The change aims to strengthen user privacy while maintaining the seamlessness and reliability.
“We have listened to customer concerns about privacy and are introducing a new improvement that minimizes the personal information shared while conducting Send Money transactions on M-PESA,” read part of Ndegwa’s statement.
Ndegwa says the update is driven by growing customer concerns about how much personal information is revealed when sending money. With more than 40 million customers relying on M-Pesa daily, the company says enhancing data protection has become a top priority.
How the New Sender Approval System Will Work
Under the new system, if a recipient needs the sender’s full details, such as to confirm identity or for record-keeping, they can submit a request within 24 hours of receiving the funds.
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The sender will then receive an automated prompt asking whether they approve the release of their full name and phone number.
If the sender approves, the recipient will instantly receive the information via SMS. If the sender declines or does not respond within two hours, the request will be automatically rejected and the information withheld.
The sender will receive a prompt reply asking whether they approve of sharing their full details. If accepted, the recipient will receive the sender’s full name and mobile number via SMS. If declined or no response is received within 2 hours, the request will not go through, according to Peter Ndegwa.
Safaricom says the feature will first be introduced for standard Send Money transactions, then rolled out across the wider M-Pesa ecosystem in phases.
Ndegwa emphasized that the reinforcement of Safaricom’s commitment to building a secure, trusted digital financial system is especially important as mobile money services become increasingly central to everyday life in Kenya.
Previous Concerns Over Masked Phone Numbers in M-Pesa Statements
Earlier, Safaricom had addressed customer concerns about why phone numbers are masked in M-Pesa statements. Some users felt the redaction was unnecessary, especially since statements are already password-protected, and questioned the value of records that hide crucial details.
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X user, Gee, argued that the policy was overly restrictive, noting that customers can already see full numbers in real-time M-Pesa notifications. They questioned why Safaricom would withhold data that customers had generated themselves.
“How can I generate the data myself, then you deny me access to the same data? Without me generating it, would it even exist? Unless you are covering up for rogue employees who steal this data, there is no reason to deny me the same data I generated,” Gee wrote.
Safaricom responded by reaffirming that masking serves as an added protection “to guard against rogue access,” emphasizing that full information can still be obtained through proper verification at Safaricom retail shops.
“Gee, we hear you. Unfortunately, we mask the statement as a shield under the Data Protection Act to keep it safe from ‘rogue’ access. You can get the full, unmasked version by visiting any Safaricom Shop with a Police OB and your original ID, Safaricom clarified.
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