FTC: rapport sur le paiement mobile

Au cours de l'année dernière, la Federal Trade Commission (FTC) s'est intéressée au paiement mobile, notamment en ce qui a trait à la protection des renseignements personnels des consommateurs. Un colloque a eu lieu au mois d'avril 2012, durant lequel les participants ont mis de l'avant le fait que: 

"For consumers, mobile payments can be an easy and convenient way to pay for goods and services, get discounts through mobile coupons, and earn or use loyalty points. Mobile payments also may provide underserved communities with greater access to alternative payment systems. For merchants, mobile payments may lead to lower transaction costs by allowing a consumer to utilize funding options other than a credit or debit card. Mobile payments may also spur competition among payment methods, benefitting consumers and merchants alike."

(Source: FTC Report, p. 4)

Ils ont également fait valoir que "while mobile payments offer many potential benefits to consumers, they also raise consumer protection concerns. Panelists identified three primary areas where concerns are likely to arise with the increasing use of mobile payments: dispute resolution, data security, and privacy". (Source: FTC Report, p. 4)

Ces trois problématiques sont présentées dans le rapport que vient de publier la FTC et qui s'intitule Paper, Plastic ... or Mobile? An FTC Workshop on Mobile Payments. 

En ce qui concerne plus particulièrement la confidentialité des renseignements personnels, il est rappelé que 

"when a consumer makes a mobile payment, any or all of these parties [i.e. banks, merchants, payment card networks, operating system manufacturers, hardware manufacturers, mobile phone carriers, application developers, coupon and loyalty program administrators] may have access to more detailed data about a consumer and the consumer's purchasing habits as compared to data collected when making a traditional payment"

(Source: FTC Report, p. 13) 

Dans ce rapport, la FTC revient sur certaines recommandations contenues dans Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change (i.e. "Privacy Report"):

"[The] Privacy Report urged companies to adopt three basic practices: (1) "privacy by design" [en vertu de ce concept "companies should consider and address privacy at every stage of product development. Thus, a company should provide reasonable security for consumer data, and should limit data collection to that which is consistent with the context of a consumer's interaction with that company"], (2) simplified choice for businesses and consumers, and (3) greater transparency. These principles apply to companies in the mobile payments marketplace [...]"

(Source: FTC Report, p. 14) 

En conclusion, la FTC précise que: 

"Without question, mobile payments have the potential to provide significant benefits to consumers and businesses. Industry is experimenting with many technologies, business models, and partnerships that provide consumers with new and exciting products and services. Although the industry is still young, FTC staff encourages those developing mobile payment products and services to create them with financial, security, and privacy protections in mind. The FTC will continue to monitor mobile payment options, and to evaluate whether consumers have adequate protections and the information they need to make informed choices about these new and innovative services."

(Source: FTC Report, p. 17)

À suivre donc.  

Pour aller plus loin, 

• FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 
• Paper, Plastic ... or Mobile? An FTC Workshop on Mobile Payments, March 2013. 
• "FTC Staff Report Examines Growing Use of Mobile Payments", Press Release, March 8, 2013.