Meta’s adding some new elements to its Brand Rights Protection system, which will give IP holders more capacity to report violations, as well as related concerns within their niche, helping Meta refine and improve its enforcement measures. First off, after beta testing it for a few months, Meta’s now going live with its expanded reporting functionality, which enables all businesses that are enrolled in Brand Rights Protection to report suspected scam ads at scale. And interestingly, Meta will also now enable brands to request action on ads that don’t explicitly use their IP, via a new “Other” category. As per Meta, brands can also use this to request action on: “Ads that promote products, services, schemes or offers using deceptive or misleading practices, including those suspected to scam people out of money or personal information, and otherwise do not involve a rights holder’s intellectual property.” Meta’s also redesigned its takedown request experience, with fewer steps required to lodge a concern, while it’s also added new search options within the “Reports” tab to make it easier to find info on your reports. The platform also now includes AI image matching, based on reference images of your products, to detect potential concerns across its apps, and as Meta looks to incorporate more shopping-focused elements, this is an important consideration, giving rights holders peace of mind in ensuring that they have some form of recourse to protect themselves.
Klarna to sell up to $26B in Pay in 4 US loans to Nelnet, enhancing funding flexibility ahead of IPO; structured forward-flow agreement offers predictable, off-balance-sheet funding
Klarna Group Plc agreed to sell as much as $26 billion of buy-now, pay-later loans to the student loan giant Nelnet Inc. as the fintech looks for ways to free up capital ahead of its public debut. The multi-year deal is structured as a so-called forward-flow agreement, where a buyer agrees to purchase loans before they have been originated. The agreement enables Klarna to sell newly originated, short-term, interest-free Pay in 4 receivables to Nelnet on a rolling basis. Over the life of the program, up to $26 billion in total payment volumes are expected to be sold. The transaction delivers scalable and efficient funding to power Klarna’s U.S. growth, while enhancing balance sheet flexibility and supporting long-term capital strategy. “This is a landmark transaction for Klarna in the U.S.” said Niclas Neglén, CFO at Klarna. “Our partnership with Nelnet allows us to scale a core product responsibly, while continuing to deliver smooth, interest-free payment experiences to millions of consumers.” The forward flow structure offers predictable, off-balance-sheet funding and underscores Klarna’s ability to structure and execute large-scale capital markets transactions. Klarna will continue to originate and service all receivables under the program, ensuring continuity and quality of experience for both consumers and merchant partners.
Visa Direct plugs into Authvia’s TXT2PAY for real‑time outbound disbursements so refunds, settlements, incentives, and reimbursements arrive to eligible Visa debit cards within a messaging thread.
Authvia has integrated Visa Direct, Visa’s real-time money movement platform, into its TXT2PAY® solution. Leveraging the combined technology of Authvia and Visa Direct, which facilitates the delivery of funds directly to eligible Visa debit cards in real-time, Authvia is enabling real-time disbursements across industries like healthcare, automotive services, insurance, and gig economy platforms through a single text message. Through this integration, Authvia has expanded its TXT2PAY capabilities to include real-time outbound payouts to eligible Visa cards in select markets, enabling businesses to issue refunds, insurance settlements, payments, incentives, and reimbursements to consumers without requiring physical checks, apps, or portal logins. Using Authvia’s patented messaging commerce platform, recipients can verify their identity, confirm payout details, and, for eligible Visa card transactions, typically receive funds in real time—all within a familiar messaging thread.
Omaha bank FNBO modernizes digital onboarding leveraging device possession, reputation checks and ownership confirmation to provide persistent authentication, slashing fraud by 75% and reducing abandonment by 35%
Prove, a leader in digital identity, has partnered with First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO) to modernize customer onboarding. The bank is using Prove Pre-Fill identity verification solution to revolutionize its co-branded card onboarding process. The partnership demonstrates FNBO’s commitment to innovation and customer experience, as well as Prove’s leadership in providing modern onboarding solutions for large financial institutions. The Prove Pre-Fill solution has seen onboarding speed increase by up to 79%, abandonment drop by 35%, and fraud reduction by over 75%. The partnership aims to provide a seamless, VIP-like experience for customers, giving banks a competitive edge. Prove’s unique approach to digital identity verification focuses on verifying device possession, checking for suspicious activity or reputation flags, and confirming device ownership. This method maintains persistent identity authentication even when users switch devices, eliminating the need for re-enrollment.
Buyers prioritize price (62%), battery (54%), storage (39%) and camera (30%) over AI features (11%), suggesting Apple’s slower AI rollout won’t deter iPhone demand
A poll by CNET and YouGov revealed that only 11% of U.S. smartphone owners upgrade for AI features, a significant decrease from 2024. In contrast, price is the top priority at 62%, followed by battery life at 54%, storage at 39%, and camera quality at 30%. Apple has faced criticism for trailing Samsung and Google in the AI race. Samsung plastered Galaxy AI across the Galaxy SWX, Z Fold 7, and Flip 7. Google packed the Pixel 10 with Gemini features. Apple, by contrast, is still working to roll out Apple Intelligence with iOS 18, after delaying key upgrades to Siri. Yet the survey shows most buyers don’t care. When only a tenth of the market is upgrading for AI, there’s little reason to panic about who has the flashiest chatbot. Apple’s reputation has long been built on stability, privacy, and polished integration, not racing to check every feature box. Consumers prefer phones that are more affordable, have longer battery life, and offer greater storage capacity. Interestingly, a thinner design, rumored to be the highlight of the iPhone 17 Air, appeals to only 7% of buyers. Apple’s recent strategy aligns with what consumers value, which are affordability, battery life, and camera quality. The iPhone 16e highlights affordability, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max concentrates on battery and camera improvements, reflecting key survey findings. AI features are seldom used, with only 13% of users summarizing text, 8% generating images, and 7% editing photos. Additionally, around 20% of users admit they don’t know how to use their phone’s AI at all. The industry narrative says Apple is late to AI, but the consumer data says Apple’s timing may be just right. The company’s hardware still dominates sales, and its Services division continues to grow without leaning on AI hype.
Mastercard, NCR Atleos and ITCARD partner to offer contactless cash withdrawal at ATMs that involves verifying a cardholder’s identity using a mobile device without the need for physical wallet, plastic card or PIN
Thanks to Mastercard in collaboration with NCR Atleos and ITCARD, cash can be securely withdrawn – and other services accessed – using your phone—no PIN required. Multiple countries in Europe including Poland, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Austria have already deployed contactless ATMs. However, when using their mobile phone, the cardholder is asked to enter their PIN in addition to authenticating themselves via mobile wallet using biometrics. This creates unnecessary friction. The Consumer Device Cardholder Verification Method (CDCVM) streamlines this process, verifying a cardholder’s identity using a mobile device for contactless payments. The consumer authenticates themselves on their phone before tapping the ATM to start their transaction thereby streamlining interactions at the ATM—no physical wallet, plastic card or PIN required. CDCVM aligns the user experience across devices, reducing the need for verification of both CDCVM and online PIN on a single ATM transaction for a truly digital-first experience. Contactless ATM transactions using CDCVM are on average over 20% faster than those requiring PIN, according to initial testing by Mastercard. Johan Gerber, EVP, Head of Security Solutions at Mastercard said “By enabling biometric mobile authentication at ATMs, we are redefining the consumer experience, simplifying it without sacrificing security.
US federal disbursements for disaster relief start to flow via FedNow
US government ‘disaster relief’ payments are starting to flow to individuals and businesses via Federal Reserve-developed instant payments platform FedNow in a move being promoted as a ‘game-changer’. With effect from this month (September), FedNow participants ‘may start receiving a new type of government payment for their account holders — instant disaster relief disbursements’, according to an announcement. The move is described as the ‘latest example of Treasury’s use of the FedNow Service for certain government payments.’ The first financial institution to receive an instant disaster relief payment was CB&S Bank, a full-service community bank. Federal Reserve Financial Services chief payments executive Mark Gould said, “The ability to receive these types of federal agency disbursements instantly via the FedNow Service will be a game-changer for individuals and businesses, especially in disaster or emergency situations where speed really matters to the recipient,.” “It will also be a key differentiator for financial institutions that enable access to these funds through their participation in the FedNow Service,” he added.
Salt Security introduces MCP Protect and Agentic AI Governance controls integrated with CrowdStrike SIEM to secure proliferating agent-driven API interactions
With the rise of agentic AI, API exposure has proliferated. Agents fan out call paths and amplify traffic, effectively turning APIs into the enterprise “plumbing” of operations, according to Michael Callahan, chief marketing officer of Salt Security. This has created the “API fabric” — a complex, constantly moving mesh of connections that enterprises struggle to see, let alone secure. A large part of the API security conversation is on the role of MCP, an open standard championed by Anthropic PBC, and A2A, Google’s protocol for agent-to-agent interactions, according to Nicosia. Both sit atop existing APIs, acting as brokers to manage data retrieval and collaboration between agents. “For us, the visibility of the AIs and the MCPs … the protocols are so paramount because you can’t protect what you don’t know,” Nicosia said. “Having that visibility from either a zombie API or a zombie MCP protocol server, we give you that visibility. At least you’re aware of all of this proliferation that’s going on with the organization. And then how do you govern it? And then how do you protect against it?” Salt’s momentum has been bolstered by its close partnership with CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. The company is a Falcon Fund portfolio company and has integrated its API security solutions with CrowdStrike’s Falcon platform and next-generation security information and event management. Together, they provide customers with unified visibility across APIs and AI-driven workflows, Nicosia added.
Visa announces general availability of VCS Hub; offering an end-to-end embedded payables solution, enabling full invoice and supplier payments, while also supporting flexible ad hoc payments
Visa announced the general availability of the Visa Commercial Solutions (VCS) Hub, a breakthrough platform that redefines the future of commercial payments for issuers and fintechs worldwide. The VCS Hub represents a transformational leap forward, engineered to deliver a smarter, more seamless experience for all users. As expansion continues, the VCS Hub will also incorporate next-generation AI capabilities, ultimately offering issuers the ability to unlock a unified, intelligent platform that turns complexity into simplicity. Following a successful pilot, the VCS Hub is now available broadly, enabling issuers and fintechs to deliver powerful commercial payment and embedded finance experiences, turbocharged by automation and seamless integration. For existing users, the platform offers an end-to-end payables solution, enabling full invoice and supplier payments, while also supporting flexible ad hoc payments to efficiently manage business needs. For embedded payments, seamless integration into accounting solutions is a core capability, making it easier and more secure for organizations to manage payments and focus on other essential business priorities. The VCS Hub will continue to expand and be enhanced with additional commercial payment solutions and capabilities. GenAI will be at the core of that, transforming how business gets done. Key enhancements include: AI-Powered Payables: Automate accounts payable with GenAI-driven workflows that anticipate business needs, optimize cash flow and reduce manual bottlenecks. Embedded Payments: Integrate payment capabilities into business applications—accounting, ERP or custom workflows—using Visa’s open APIs and intelligent orchestration. Reporting and Insights: Harness advanced analytics and GenAI to surface actionable insights, predict trends and empower smarter business decisions in real time. Personalized Experiences: User experiences can be tailored by AI, delivering recommendations, alerts and next steps that drive growth and efficiency.
GoDaddy creates trusted identity naming system for AI agents- issues a report on each enrolled agent: verifying its identity, confirming good standing and specifying its location
GoDaddy is launching a trusted identity naming system for AI agents. This system is based on proven technologies and protocols, making it easy to find and trust agents that are legitimate. It builds on the company’s decades of leadership and experience in helping keep the internet safe with domain names, the Domain Name System (DNS) and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates. The service is engineered to work across protocols via a modular adapter layer and draws on concepts documented in an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) draft for an Agent Name Service (ANS). The system issues a report on each enrolled agent: verifying its identity, confirming good standing and specifying its location. Discovery through domains and DNS: Human-readable names map to agent endpoints and metadata. Verifiable identity with X.509: Agent operators enroll, renew and manage certificates issued by trusted authorities, enabling cryptographic verification using the public key infrastructure (PKI). Protocol-agnostic adapters: An open layer translates agent records into the formats used by popular agent frameworks, preventing lock-in. Lifecycle management: Registration, renewal and revocation flows provide security and governance for production deployments. The design draws on work from the IETF on an agent name service, a universal, DNS-inspired directory, that pairs discovery with PKI-backed verification and a protocol-agnostic adapter layer. GoDaddy is driving collaboration with standards bodies and industry partners to ensure broad participation and seamless interoperability.