BUSINESS | Shift to digital during pandemic could be permanent
Emerging technologies could present challenges for and increase fraud prevention, economic inclusion and consumer privacy.
With the Philippines remaining under varying degrees of quarantine due to COVID-19, a new Economist Intelligence Unit study for TransUnion finds businesses’ shift to digital could be permanent.
“COVID-19 has dramatically accelerated digital transformation with 78% of Philippine executives surveyed as part of our study saying their organization has changed their digital transaction process due to the pandemic,” said Pia Arellano, TransUnion Philippines president and CEO. “But all of this digital progress will be wiped out if we can’t remove these barriers to building bilateral digital trust. For instance, 70% of Philippine executives in the study who said their company changed their digital transaction process as a result of the pandemic experienced glitches.”
In addition to the above findings, nearly 84% of Philippine and 85% of global executives surveyed as part of the study said they believe smooth transactions are “essential to business survival” rather than merely a competitive edge during and after the pandemic.
The report, “New Dimensions of Change: Building Trust in a Digital Consumer Landscape,” included responses from 1,610 executives in Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Hong Kong, India, the Philippines, South Africa, the U.K. and the U.S., including 115 Philippine executives. The research uncovered how technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), national digital IDs and super-apps could help overcome hurdles and possibly create new challenges to building digital trust.
New technologies vs. fraud
Overwhelmingly, respondents answered that: 1) biometrics would be the dominant payment customer authentication method; 2) improved fraud detection and security is the greatest benefit to using AI; and 3) a national digital ID system would help prevent consumer fraud.
Approximately 92% of Philippine and 85% of global executives say biometrics are likely to be used to authenticate the vast majority of payments in the next 10 years. About 46% of Philippine and 43% of global respondents noted that improved fraud detection and security is the greatest benefit to using AI. This was the top selection by far with smoother customer experience being the second most used answer globally at 29% worldwide and 23% in the Philippines.
Furthermore, the vast majority of executives, 84% in the Philippines and 79% globally, think national digital IDs would help fraud prevention in consumer transactions. Seven in 10 executives globally and 77% in the Philippines believe a national digital ID gives low-income groups access to consumer services they would have previously been excluded from. By industry worldwide, respondents from consumer lending and telecommunications think such IDs give lower-income groups access to services they might otherwise lack. Both industries have led the way over the last decade in reaching the community of financially underserved customers, manifested in innovations like microfinance and mobile money. The Philippine Statistics Authority said it would begin registering Filipinos for the Philippine national digital ID, “Phil ID,” in the 4th quarter of 2020.
“Ensuring consumer trust starts with preventing fraud. Our research overwhelmingly showed that biometrics, AI and national digital IDs aren’t just a fad for consumer fraud prevention. They are key for trusted commerce for the foreseeable future,” said Arellano.
Entrusting personal data
About 82% of Philippine and 73% of global executives believe consumers are comfortable sharing personal data with private companies. Nearly 71% of worldwide and 79% of Philippine executives believe consumers are comfortable sharing personal data with governments. Brazilian, Chinese and Dominican Republican executives have vastly differing views about whether or not consumers are willing to share data with private companies versus government bodies (more than 10% difference in each country between sharing with governments and companies). Chinese respondents believe consumers are much more comfortable sharing personal data with government bodies than companies, while Brazilian and Dominican Republican executives have the opposite belief.
“Technological innovations like AI, biometrics and national digital IDs paired with proven fraud prevention methods like device intelligence could provide a more convenient and inclusive way for consumers to transact that still protects security and privacy,” Arellano concluded.
