Signal, the encrypted messaging app is making an addition to its messaging business. The app announced Signal Payment on Tuesday, a new beta feature that will allow users to send and receive privacy focused payments as easily as sending or receiving a message. The beta feature for now, is for those in the United Kingdom.

Signal, which rose to stardom early in the year following WhatsApp’s attempt to force its users to share personal information with Facebook, said the new feature will be powered by blockchain technology.

“We want payments in Signal to be fast, private, and work well on mobile devices. The first payments protocol we’ve added support for is a privacy focused payments network called MobileCoin, which has its own currency, MOB,” the company said.

Founded by security researcher Moxie Marlinspike and roboticist Stuart Anderson in 2014, the San Francisco-based app has operated as a non-profit, relying on donations to function. Thus, the introduction of the payment system is a surprising copying of its rival, WhatsApp’s profit-driven business model.

The Facebook-owned messaging app is dominating the instant message business with its over 1.5 billion users. Mid-last year, it moved to cash in on the huge numbers through WhatsApp Pay, a spinoff of Facebook Pay, which provides a secure and consistent way to make payment across all Facebook-owned apps.

WhatsApp Pay is an in-chat payment feature that allows users to make transactions via WhatsApp to their contact list. It is UPI-based payments service that allows you to both send and receive money. It was developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

Facebook is developing a huge market that it believes will make it easier for more people to embrace WhatsApp Pay, following the integration of all its units.

But unlike WhatsApp Pay which is fiat-based, Signal’s choice of cryptocurrency may be the technique it needs to capture huge market shares.

Signal Payments makes it easy to link a MobileCoin wallet to Signal so you can start sending funds to friends and family, receive funds from them, keep track of your balance, and review your transaction history with a simple interface, the company said.

With its reputation of giving total control of data management to its users, Signal has an enticing edge over WhatsApp Pay, whose parent company has been enmeshed in a series of private data scandals, including the recent breach of 500 million users’ private information.

“As always, our goal is to keep your data in your hands rather than ours; MobileCoin’s design means Signal does not have access to your balance, full transaction history, or funds. You can also transfer your funds at any time if you want to switch to another app or service,” Signal said.

The company said UK is a starting point, the Signal Payment may be converted to/from MOB on FTX and other exchanges soon, and the beta will be expanded to other countries as it receives feedback.

Signal’s user-base increased to over 20 million early this year due to its end-to-end encryption, as people sought a safe alternative to WhatsApp data privacy controversy.

End-to-end encryption crypto trading may be just another reason for more people to jump onto Signal. MobileCoin just snagged a little over $11 million in funding last month following rumors that this integration was about to happen.

Signal will only need to onboard popular cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ether. As more countries announce stiffer rules for crypto trading, it may serve as a more secure Peer-to-Peer (P2P) platform for traders seeking refuge from governments’ harassment.

Uber is expanding its long-term partnership with Mastercard with a new strategic initiative focusing on digital payments and advancing financial inclusions which will be facilitated by Mastercard across the Middle East and Africa (MEA).

This comes at the heels of the fintech boom in the regions that is shaping new payment methods, forcing companies to adapt.

As a regional first, the partnership with Mastercard will enable Uber to drive digitization across their business operations, leveraging Mastercard’s single infrastructure to meet all types of payments needs across Uber Rides, Uber Eats, Uber Pass, and Uber for Business.

“Mastercard continues to partner with digital players across the value chain to build a more connected world. Enabling secure, immediate movement of money for individuals in the gig economy workers and customers is especially vital as we support economic recovery efforts. Through our growing partnership, we are enabling the company’s long-term business growth as a result of improved operational efficiencies, driving greater financial inclusion and innovation across the region, and ultimately boosting the growth of digital economy in MEA,” said Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President Market Development, Mastercard, MEA.

The partnership is aimed to boost cashless payments, drive digital payment acceptance, reward loyalty, while supporting Uber’s continued social impact collaboration.

Through the partnership, both companies can bridge the financial inclusion gap through a broad range of efforts. The alliance builds on the existing work between the 2 organizations. The work undertaken with Uber plays a critical role in advancing Mastercard’s commitment to financial inclusion and the company’s pledge to bring a total of 1 bn people, 50 mn MSMBs, and 25 mn women entrepreneurs into the digital economy by 2025.

The Economy 2021 report released by Mastercard notes that the economic impact of COVID-19 has introduced permanent changes in digital consumer spending habits, growth of online banking, fintech disruption and opportunities to boost financial inclusion.

Through the partnership, both companies can bridge the financial inclusion gap through a broad range of efforts.

Last year, Uber in South Africa launched a product called Uber Pass, which will now be available across most cities in MEA, with Mastercard becoming a key distribution partner to help drive adoption.

Tino Waked, Regional General Manager, Middle East & Africa, Uber, says: “This is the largest partnership for us across MEA, and we are proud to be working together to bring key financial solutions to driver-partners across MEA. Driver’s well-being is a top priority and putting opportunities they want within reach is important to us.”

This new partnership builds on existing work between the two organizations. In a joint initiative last year, Mastercard committed 120,000 free trips and meals to those supporting communities across the Middle East and Africa, which was facilitated through Uber. This strategic partnership between Mastercard and Uber spans across the region and through key partnerships, supported cities, hospitals, front line workers and marginalized communities with free rides and meals.

While vaccines are a reality, communities are still in need of various support. Mastercard and Uber remain committed to helping people around the world navigate these challenging times and stand ready to support cities whether it be logistics or free rides.

The work undertaken with Uber plays a key role in advancing Mastercard’s worldwide commitment to financial inclusion and the company’s pledge to bring a total of 1 billion people, 50 million micro and small businesses, and 25 million women entrepreneurs into the digital economy by 2025.

MasterCard has been leveraging on partnership to increase its market share globally, tapping on every firm with access to a huge payment market. However, this move underscores the flurry by payment giants to lead the competition in Africa.

In February, MasterCard announced a new partnership with South African telecom giant, MTN. The partnership is to be facilitated through a MasterCard virtual payment solution linked to MTN MoMo (Mobile Money) wallets, to help consumers and merchants engage with brands and businesses abroad through digital commerce, extending their reach to an international marketplace and unlocking a host of opportunities.

Last week, MasterCard got involved with Airtel Mobile Commerce with an investment worth $100 million that will give the payment firm a minority stake in Airtel Mobile Commerce.

Countering conspiracy theories is never an easy task. It is actually easier to ignore them than trying to debunk them. But then, you might find yourself in a situation, where you have to refute one conspiracy theory or the other but you find it that hard to achieve. The major reason countering a conspiracy theory is difficult is because its believers are emotionally attached to it. Anyone that attempts to counter beliefs faces resistance and, sometimes, violence. This is why you should learn the best way to counter conspiracy theories without putting your life, jobs, relationships, and properties on the line.

There may be several ways of countering conspiracy theories but analytic thinking is the best so far. Critically evaluating what the theorist said and the evidence he projected have been helpful in containing such malicious theories. But then, the problem arises when you attempt to debunk assumptions before ardent believers even if you have facts to back up your arguments. This is why you have to be tactful in your approach.

Steps to Countering Conspiracy Theories Safely
Even though you have facts to prove a certain assumption is false or unfounded, you don’t need to project them headlong. Any attempt to do will make your targets create cognitive dissonance and ignore you or, worse, attack you. When you find yourself in such a situation, consider taking the following steps:

a. Pretend to Seek Information: Make sure you never revealed your true intentions to these believers. Give them the impression that you are seeking information on the theory because you are considering joining its number of believers. With this, you will be welcomed into the circle without hitches.

b. Be Empathetic: Many people hold onto conspiracy theories that give them hope and consolation. There are people that cling to the ones that absolve them from their mistakes or put blames on others. For people such as these, it will be almost impossible to convince them that what they believe in are lies. Considering that they will be disorganised by such changes makes it important that you show empathy for their predicament so you can see reasons with them. Apart from that, when these people see you as a “friend”, who understands their challenges, they will easily open up to you and allow you in. Resistance is less when empathy is established.

c. Make them Talk about the Theory: There are two things you stand to gain when you encourage your targets to talk about the concerned conspiracy theory. The first one is that they give you insights into what they believe the theorist is out to achieve. The second one is that while they present the premise of this theory, they will realise that it has some unexplainable loopholes, which they couldn’t fill with existing facts. The discovery of these questionable gaps will encourage the concerned persons to start asking questions about their beliefs and ideologies. If they fail to discover this fault, you will have enough information, which will be of great importance in the next level.

d. Acknowledge the Truths in the Theory: Most conspiracy theories have atoms of truths on which the lies are woven. You need to acknowledge these truths and give reasons and evidence to back up your claims. In a situation where the theory is a blatant lie, you have to admit, with examples, that some assumptions are true. Remember you are not to tell these people that what they believed in were lies; they have to discover that by themselves.

e. Ask Critical Questions: Remember you are the seeker here. You have to pretend you didn’t know the assumptions were lies so you can use that as a reason to ask critical questions. Remember you have to ask non-suspecting questions that will make your targets use their analytic thinking while answering them. Ask them questions that will make them see the futility of their beliefs and why they should abandon them. Here, turn your facts, especially the ones that came up in (c), into questions and allow them to provide explanations. After this discussion, they will go back to review their beliefs and ideologies.

Remember you cannot refute conspiracy theories with arguments. Even when you have facts to back up your claims, the theory adopters will resist whatever changes you attempt to bring into their lives. Hence, to reduce the spread of such theories, you need to employ tact to prevent aggression and dissonance.