Maya won huge recognition at the Privacy Awareness Week Awards 2022 organized by the National Privacy Commission (NPC).
Maya won the Privacy Initiative of the Year for its #FraudPatrol campaign. It did so due to its unique approach to building a culture of privacy that combines consumer protection advocacy, gamified experience, and awareness testing for its employees.
Meanwhile, the newly established Maya Bank was already recognized as a finalist for the Privacy Management of the Year for establishing customer-centric-data privacy practices. Maya Bank Data Protection Officer John Christopher Retardo was also a finalist for the Data Protection Officer of the Year award.
“We are very honored to be recognized by the NPC for our efforts. As the country’s all-in-one money platform, Maya commits to continuously work with the government and the rest of the fintech industry to uphold data privacy and security,”
Shailesh Baidwan, PayMaya President and Maya Bank Co-Founder and Board Member
(L-R) Maya Senior Data Protection Specialist Denriel Maverick Avila, NPC Privacy Commissioner and Chairman Atty. John Henry D. Naga, and Maya Data Protection Officer John Christopher Retardo
The NPC PAW Awards Ceremony recognizes individuals and organizations who have made exceptional contributions to the practice and advocacy of data privacy.
#FraudPatrol: Building a culture of privacy
Privacy Initiative of the Year #FraudPatrol is a testament to the company’s recognition of the role its employees play in protecting the data privacy of its customers. The company utilized activities like social media challenges, gamified missions, awareness testing, webinars, and interactive content.
Maya reported zero victims of phishing and malware attack incidents in the workplace for 2021, because of the activities. The number of employees proactively reporting suspicious phishing also increased.
Maya’s default: privacy and security by design
The campaign is just one of the company’s initiatives to uphold data privacy and security. It has heavily invested in privacy and security initiatives through the years.
An example of this is the all-new Maya app that incorporates features starting at the account opening and registration stages. The app now offers a stronger Know-Your-Customer (KYC) experience, employing AI and machine learning for face matching, ID image classification, fake ID detection, ID OCR, and biometrics.
You can enjoy more robust security with every step of your app experience. This includes password or pin requirements and multi-factor authentication requirements for features like registration, password reset, sending money, bank transfers, and more.
Additionally, the company has continuously conducted information and education drives, releasing privacy and security-focused advisories on its social media accounts.
Stronger data privacy and security through collaborations
It also partnered last year with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) on information sharing and capacity building to help combat financial crimes. Most recently, Maya announced that it is working with the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group to help prevent and fight financial crimes in the country.
Maya’s Data Privacy Office also contributed to strengthening data privacy practices in the country through active participation in NPC’s stakeholder consultations and supporting NPC initiatives.
Ram found his love and appreciation for writing in 2015 having started in the gaming and esports sphere for GG Network. He would then transition to focus more on the world of tech which has also began his journey into learning more about this world. That said though, he still has the mentality of "as long as it works" for his personal gadgets.
