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MasterCard-Branded National eID Card Launched in Nigeria

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Re: MasterCard-Branded National eID Card Launched in Nigeria

#51

Post by serf »

declan wrote: post #41

Here's an excerpt from the Mastercard press release with a few more details: "MasterCard has pioneered large scale card schemes that combine biometric functionality with electronic payments and we want to capitalize on their experience... enrollment process involves the recording of an individual’s demographic data and biometric data (capture of 10 fingerprints, facial picture and digital signature)..." http://newsro…

> I wonder how Americans would feel if the U.S. government teamed up with Mastercard, devised a similar biometric ID card -- and required all U.S. citizens to obtain one to drive, pay taxes, get government benefits, vote, etc.? (I also wonder what "demographic data" referred to above means, and whether it means everyone's religion will be encoded on the ID...)

hopefully nauseous. a national ID is bad enough; a national ID ran by a private conglomerate is worse. The privacy implications are harrowing either way, from a personal standpoint.

Re: MasterCard-Branded National eID Card Launched in Nigeria

#52

Post by serf »

true_religion wrote: post #32
TomGullen wrote: post #3

So MasterCard have in one swoop pretty much monopolised the entire payments industry of an entire country? Helping the unbanked is probably a good thing (probably) but I wonder how expensive these cards will be, or will become. I personally would hate the idea of having a "Mastercard" branded ID card or passport here in the UK. Maybe in Nigeria it's the lesser of two evils, perhaps not.

Why do you think its a monopoly?

it may not be one currently, but if an entire population is forced to use an ID from a private company, and then that company provides incentive for other services formed around the ID (which was forced), it begins rapidly approaching monopoly status.

Re: MasterCard-Branded National eID Card Launched in Nigeria

#53

Post by illuminut »

declan wrote: post #41

Here's an excerpt from the Mastercard press release with a few more details: "MasterCard has pioneered large scale card schemes that combine biometric functionality with electronic payments and we want to capitalize on their experience... enrollment process involves the recording of an individual’s demographic data and biometric data (capture of 10 fingerprints, facial picture and digital signature)..." http://newsro…

Sounds like part of Agenda 21 of the New World Order

Re: MasterCard-Branded National eID Card Launched in Nigeria

#54

Post by serf »

fredbrown wrote: post #9
natrius wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not a credit card.

It will function as a debit card.

until some point at which the auto-enrollment and e-ads with "Enroll Now" and "Ask Me Later" buttons only begin rolling out, like most credit institutions tend to do.

Re: MasterCard-Branded National eID Card Launched in Nigeria

#55

Post by dragonwriter »

serf wrote: post #52
true_religion wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you think its a monopoly?

it may not be one currently, but if an entire population is forced to use an ID from a private company, and then that company provides incentive for other services formed around the ID (which was forced), it begins rapidly approaching monopoly status.

The first step is itself a monopoly, leveraging it to other products is one of the dangers that an existing monopoly opens up.

Re: MasterCard-Branded National eID Card Launched in Nigeria

#56

Post by schoen »

schoen wrote: post #29
rhodri wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't confuse consumer credit – which is taking out loans in order to buy goods like toasters that will decrease in value – from a business loan – which is a bet that you can add value to what you buy with the loan, and thus earn enough to pay it back (and more, hopefully). Having a quick look around, I found this blog post from Kiva who helped pioneer microlending in the developing world. The answer seems to be "yes…

What a useful way of putting it. Can you think of an institutional or cultural way to get people in the West out of some of their consumer credit traps? I don't think the lenders are going to help!

I wonder if this got downvoted because someone read it as sarcastic. It wasn't meant to be so; I thought the parent comment was useful and I was wondering how to change the culture around consumer lending, which I agree has got a lot of people trapped (or at least burning a lot of their income on interest payments and fees).

Re: MasterCard-Branded National eID Card Launched in Nigeria

#57

Post by praseodym »

Omni5cience wrote: post #46
praseodym wrote: post #5

Back in the nineties, when Java was still the next big thing, manufacturers promised that we would carry a single Java smartcard for all applications: identification, credit cards, electronic wallets, etc. As we now know this never happened. The biggest reason is marketing: every company wants to have their own logo on the card, which is impossible to do with a generic card. Reference from 1998: ftp://service.boulder…

On a related note, I recently found out that all SIM cards run JavaCard applications. Apparently SIM applications are not uncommon in countries where smartphones still aren't common. Check out https://simhacks.github.io/defcon-21/

Indeed, SIM cards in third-world countries seem to be the only place where installing applets on a third-party smartcard (i.e. the telco's SIM card) is commonplace.

Smartphones are only recently catching up through the addition of secure elements in the device. Without them, the SIM card is the only place to securely store secrets.

Re: MasterCard-Branded National eID Card Launched in Nigeria

#58

Post by vidarh »

einrealist wrote: post #43
seanflyon wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What kind of ID data are you referring to? If when I swiped my credit card the point of sale could see my name, year of birth, and picture I would consider that a good thing. With my drivers license for example anyone I hand the card to can read name, date of birth address, picture, because those things are printed on the outside of the card.

To the Personal ID data. That card contains biometric data and certainly more information that is not necessary for a transaction. If that card gets cloned, you will lose more than just money. So the probability of identity theft is much higher - each POS can be an attacker. Also, if MasterCard is maintaining both data sets and is losing it, will they be held liable for the Personal ID data too?

While that is problematic: This is Nigeria. Given that Nigerians themselves tend to vote Nigeria as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, I suspect many Nigerians may prefer Mastercard to be the one holding the data over the Nigerian government...

Re: MasterCard-Branded National eID Card Launched in Nigeria

#59

Post by vidarh »

vicpara wrote: post #14

This is a big thing. Mastercard is a global company. In Nigeria, a country that has nothing to loose and some small advantages to gain this may seem like a no brainer. However, if this new tech proves itself reliable enough I expect it to be pushed to many more countries. Think about it. A BANK will OWN your biometric data (10 fingerprints, iris signature, facial signature). Everything. And this is not a governmental…

While this does not change all of your issues, Mastercard is not a bank.

The banking services would have to be backed by partner banks.

Mastercard is also not intrinsically linked to credit. You can get Mastercard debit cards in large parts of the world (as you can for VISA).

Re: MasterCard-Branded National eID Card Launched in Nigeria

#60

Post by vidarh »

frandroid wrote: post #49
true_religion wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nigeria is a poor country? It's the oil king of West Africa, more akin to a middle eastern state than anything else.

Unlike the Persian Gulf states though, it doesn't spread the oil wealth to its citizens. So it's a country full of poor people, more than the Gulf oil monarchies.

The Gulf oil monarchies are also full of poor people. The difference is the gulf states don't let the poor people become citizens.
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