Press Releases
Today we are releasing our Global Government Requests Report as part of a broader effort to reform government surveillance in countries around the world by providing more transparency.
This report, which covers the first half of 2015, provides information about the number of government requests we receive for data, as well as the number of pieces of content restricted for violating local law in countries around the world where we provide service. The report also includes updated information about the national security requests we received from US authorities under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and through National Security Letters.
Overall, we continue to see an increase in content restrictions and government requests for data globally. The amount of content restricted for violating local law increased by 112% over the second half of 2014, to 20,568 pieces of content, up from 9,707. Government requests for account data increased across all countries by 18% over the same period, from 35,051 requests to 41,214. For more details, including a country-by-country breakdown of the data, please read the full report.
As we have emphasized before, Facebook does not provide any government with “back doors” or direct access to people’s data. We scrutinize each request we receive for legal sufficiency, whether from an authority in the U.S., Europe, or elsewhere. If a request appears to be deficient or overly broad, we push back hard and will fight in court, if necessary.
Over the last two years, we’ve regularly published information about the nature and extent of the requests we receive. To protect people’s information, we will continue to apply a rigorous approach to every government request we receive. We’ll also keep working with partners in industry and civil society to push governments around the world to reform surveillance in a way that protects their citizens’ safety and security while respecting their rights and freedoms.
UC Card, MasterCard, Dai Nippon Printing and “branche” to Launch New Digital Wallet Service in Japan
Leveraging MasterCard’s digital payment platform, MasterPass, and DNP’s mobile prepaid solution, ‘My Wallet’ will be made available to customers of “branche” beauty salons and restaurants
Kasugai, Japan, November 11, 2015 – Leading Japanese beauty salon chain operator “branche” announced today that My Wallet, a new digital wallet service jointly developed by Mizuho Financial Group member UC Card, MasterCard and Dai Nippon Printing (DNP), will launch on November 16. My Wallet will mark the Japan debut of MasterPassTM, MasterCard’s digital payment service for convenient, simple and secure payments, and DNP’s mobile prepaid solution.
My Wallet will be made available to consumers via Salon de Wallet (http://salondewallet.com), branche’s mobile application. With MasterPass, consumers will be able to make payments via their mobile devices, conveniently and securely. Consumers will also be able to use DNP’s mobile prepaid solution, or the existing plastic prepaid card “branche Premium Card” (supported by Valuedesign Inc.’s Valuecard ASP service) at all branche locations.
In July 2014, UC Card signed an agreement with MasterCard and Dai Nippon Printing to jointly provide MasterPass and DNP’s mobile prepaid solution. Together, they are now promoting cashless transactions in various commercial fields by combining credit cards and other payment options for enhanced customer convenience.
Features of MasterPass
Simplified purchases Consumers can securely store their MasterCard and other branded card information all in one convenient place, along with shipping and billing address. Convenient access to payment details eliminates the need to enter information for every purchase, and simplifies checkouts. Safe and secure electronic commerce payments MasterPass accounts for consumers are protected by multiple layers of security to keep consumer card details, addresses and other personal information safe. Personal log-in information such as IDs and passwords do not need to be registered for each site. Available for all plastic cards Any MasterCard- or other branded credit, debit or prepaid card can be registered with MasterPass.
Features of DNP’s mobile prepaid solution
Accessible via a mobile app or a preregistered prepaid card. Recharging is possible by credit card using the app. Card balances and expiry dates can be confirmed via the app. Payment by smartphone eliminates the need to carry physical cards.
About branche
Branche operates 12 kinds of businesses, including beauty salons, nail salons and restaurants, totaling 45 locations in the cities of Kasugai and Komaki of Aichi Prefecture. The company is committed to helping customer pursue self expression and lifestyles through beauty, food, and housing under the theme of “Future, Life, Design.” More recently, branche has expanded into the human resource development field, including a beauty school that it opened in 2014 and an in-office nursery school in 2015. This year it also expanded overseas by establishing a combined beauty and nail salon service in Singapore.
About UC Card
UC Card, founded in 1969 as a member of the current Mizuho Financial Group, is currently one of Japan’s leading credit card brands with some 15 million members. The company is driving Japan’s payment industry in fields including not only credit cards, but also cash and cashless transactions. With the introduction of the My Wallet service, UC Card is committed to providing a digital wallet payment infrastructure encompassing member shops, issuers and financial institutions to realize enhanced customer convenience.
About MasterCard
MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardAP and @MasterCardNews, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.
About Dai Nippon Printing
Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) has been developing its accumulated technologies and know-how for smart phone services as a top IC card vender in Japan, and is now promoting a hybrid strategy of IC cards and smart phones. DNP started providing the “DNP Mobile Wallet Service” in 2012, and plans to launch the “DNP Cloud Payment Service for Smartphone Device” in spring 2016. With the today’s announced service, DNP will provides mobile prepaid service as a payment service which adds value to UC Card’s Wallet service. From now on, DNP intends to support credit card companies in expanding the use of Wallet service and acquiring new customers by proposing measures to improve customer satisfaction through related coupon and information distribution services that are combined with a payment function, as well as ways to utilize data accumulated from Wallet service.
Media Contacts
branche group
Kuwahara and Yamashita of Corporate planning department at UC Card
MasterCard
Miki Koiwai of Marketing Communications department at MasterCard
My Wallet: An application which UC Card jointly developed with MasterCard and Dai Nippon Printing to spread the use of wallet service. My Wallet is available to download at GooglePlay and AppStore.
Note: The term “Wallet” (i.e. digital wallet) is a digital payment solution that enables consumers to store and manage various cards, be it stored value cards, payment cards – credit, debit or prepaid – or loyalty cards, on one platform.
Delivers Industry’s First Global Zero Liability Promise
Purchase, N.Y. – Nov. 11, 2015 – MasterCard today announced an industry first in its move to create one global Zero Liability promise for consumers. Under the new program, consumer and small business cardholders will enjoy added protection from unauthorized transactions. 
“Over the past few years, consumers have grown increasingly concerned about the security of their data and account information, and liability for unauthorized transactions,” said Nancy O’Malley, chief payment system integrity officer, Enterprise Security Solutions at MasterCard. “With this new global program, we, together with our issuers, are providing our cardholders with additional peace of mind regardless of where they live or travel.”
The global Zero Liability promise was developed in consultation with issuers and regulators, extending protections beyond what may be required today. The changes increase and expand the minimum standard for consumer protection against unauthorized transactions and are designed to work together with, and subject to applicable local laws. The new program modernizes and simplifies the existing promise to meet the needs of today’s digital marketplace.
“Card fraud and security is a global issue, and MasterCard’s move to apply its Zero Liability promise to both consumers and small businesses across the globe is a big stride forward,” said Julie Conroy, Research Director at Aite Group.
Zero Liability is designed to protect consumers from unauthorized transactions provided that the cardholder exercises reasonable care in safeguarding their card from risk or loss. In addition, the cardholder, upon becoming aware of such loss or theft, must promptly contact the bank that issued or provided their payment card. The revised rule applies to:
Transactions, including PIN-based transactions at the point of sale, ATM withdrawals and online or mobile transactions on MasterCard, Maestro and Cirrus-branded transactions; Transactions made using a consumer credit, debit, small business or prepaid cards registered to a consumer, as well as co-badged cards provided MasterCard is the brand of choice at time of purchase.In Oct. 2014, MasterCard cardholders in the U.S., were the first to benefit from the updated rule. It will be extended to all regions by early second quarter 2016.
Zero Liability, along with the latest payment innovations like tokenization and biometrics, and real-time network detection tools like MasterCard Safety Net, are all part of MasterCard’s multilayered approach to safety and security.
About MasterCard
MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardNews, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news.
Media contact
Jane Khodos This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +1 914 327 0820