France’s four major mobile operators have joined forces to deploy network Application Programmable Interfaces (APIs) as part of the GSMA Open Gateway initiative, aiming to combat online fraud and enhance digital identity protection. The collaboration involves Bouygues Telecom, Free, Orange, and SFR, making France the first country where all major operators are launching the KYC Match API.
The initiative comes as France experiences significant growth in online transactions, with a 37 percent increase in 2023 reaching €2.35 billion. This growth has been accompanied by rising fraud attempts, with digital identity theft cases increasing by 40 percent over the past four years, according to the French Ministry of Interior. The surge in digital fraud has made robust identity verification increasingly critical for online security.
The operators are implementing two specific network APIs: KYC Match and SIM Swap. These APIs are developed according to the CAMARA standard, ensuring consistent specifications across operators. The KYC Match API enhances identity verification processes for new customers, while the SIM Swap API helps prevent unauthorized SIM card changes – a growing concern in mobile fraud cases where criminals attempt to intercept authentication codes and gain unauthorized access to accounts.
This deployment builds upon previous identity verification initiatives in France, where operators like Orange and Bouygues Telecom have already implemented various authentication solutions. The GSMA Open Gateway initiative represents a global effort to standardize and accelerate network API deployment, creating a unified approach to security across mobile networks worldwide.
Several operators are making Number Verification available to the developer community, encouraging app developers to integrate these security measures into their applications. This integration is designed to strengthen the overall security of the online ecosystem, particularly as digital identity solutions become increasingly central to online security.
Orange France, an early supporter of the initiative, stated, “Orange is proud to join the GSMA Open Gateway initiative with the other French mobile operators.”
The implementation of these standardized APIs represents a coordinated approach to creating a more secure environment for online transactions, while supporting the global standardization of network API deployment. This collaboration among French operators could serve as a model for other countries seeking to strengthen their digital identity infrastructure and combat rising online fraud.
Sources: Intelligent CIO, GSMA, Telecoms.com, Telecompaper
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