SHERIDAN, WYOMING – Dec. 24, 2024 – In a significant move to enhance online security, France's four major mobile operators – Bouygues Telecom, Free, Orange, and SFR – have announced the launch of two new network APIs designed to combat fraud and protect digital identities. This initiative is part of the global GSMA Open Gateway program, which aims to provide standardized APIs for developers to access mobile network capabilities.
Rising Online Fraud Prompts Action
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to online transactions, with France witnessing a 37% surge, reaching €2.35 billion in 2023. However, this growth has been accompanied by a concerning rise in online fraud attempts. According to recent data, 80% of French companies reported experiencing online fraud, with 45% noting an increase in the past year. Furthermore, digital identity theft cases have alarmingly risen by 40% over the past four years, as per figures from the French Ministry of Interior.
KYC Match and SIM Swap APIs: A New Defense Against Fraud
To address these challenges, the French operators are introducing two key network APIs: KYC Match and SIM Swap. These APIs, developed to the new CAMARA standard for interoperability, empower businesses to verify customer identities and detect suspicious activities more effectively.
KYC Match enables businesses to cross-reference customer-provided information with verified records held by mobile network operators. This process ensures secure and accurate verification without compromising user privacy, as no Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is shared.
SIM Swap helps mitigate account takeover attacks by checking if a phone number has recently undergone a SIM card change. This is crucial in preventing fraudsters from gaining control of user accounts through social engineering tactics.
Number Verification API: Enhancing Authentication
In addition to KYC Match and SIM Swap, the operators plan to include a third API, Number Verification, which offers a more robust and user-friendly authentication method. By moving beyond SMS-based verification, Number Verification streamlines the process and mitigates potential issues like SMS delivery failures.
Collaborative Development and Testing
These APIs have been rigorously tested in collaboration with French financial institutions like BforBank and Fortuneo. Over 20 companies are already leveraging these APIs to enhance security measures during customer onboarding and transactions.
GSMA Open Gateway: A Global Initiative
The GSMA Open Gateway initiative fosters collaboration among mobile operators worldwide to create a standardized API ecosystem. This simplifies development and deployment of services across different networks and countries.
"GSMA Open Gateway has gone from strength to strength since launching last year. This aligned market launch of CAMARA APIs from France's leading operators will make it easier to keep people safe from the growing threat of fraud. The initiative benefits businesses, mobile operators, and their customers, saving developers time, money and effort while allowing for the quick launch of innovative new services," said Henry Calvert, Head of Networks at the GSMA.
Operator Perspectives
The French operators have expressed strong support for this initiative.
"Bouygues Telecom is delighted to launch these new APIs in CAMARA format. This reflects our ability to innovate and work jointly with other French operators to protect our customers from fraud. It's testament to this work that France has become the first country where all operators offer KYC Match," stated Chrystel Abadie Truchet, Deputy General Manager in charge of Strategy, Development, and Communication at Bouygues Telecom.
"As a member of the GSMA Open Gateway initiative, Group iliad is committed to help developers and cloud providers enhance and deploy services rapidly across a common standard set of APIs available worldwide. This unified ecosystem will help unlock the full potential of 5G networks," commented Rui Frazao, Chief Technology Officer, Free – Group iliad.
"Orange France is proud to join the GSMA Open Gateway initiative with the other French mobile operators... We believe that joining forces to develop APIs to a common standard, Camara, will revolutionize the way that developers use networks capabilities and services by making them quicker and easier to access," added Laetitia Orsini, EVP Consumer Business, Orange France.
"SFR is proud to contribute to the GSMA Open Gateway program, which will help boost the API market in France. We are convinced that the fight against fraud, which is a priority for SFR, involves the development of APIs and we are delighted with this initiative," said Olivier Tailfer, Chief Technology Officer, SFR.
Commercial Launch and Future Plans
The French operators are targeting a commercial launch of these APIs in the first half of 2025, with discussions and presentations planned at industry events like Apidays Paris 2024 and MWC Barcelona in March 2025.
About GSMA
The GSMA is a global organization unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Representing mobile operators and organizations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, tackling today’s biggest societal challenges, underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work, and providing the world’s largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events.