Ant International Upgrades Alipay+ With Privacy-Enhancing Tech

Ant International announced on April 23 that it upgraded its Alipay+ cross-border wallet network with privacy-enhancing technologies that keep transaction data encrypted throughout processing. The upgrade covers all critical Alipay+ operations, which the company said serves 150 million merchants and 1.8 billion consumer accounts. According to the announcement, Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Commission issued practical guidance based on an Ant pilot, and Ant is expanding related research with NTU Singapore on digital trust technologies.

Privacy Technology Implementation

The upgrade implements encryption across transaction processing to address regulatory scrutiny on data handling. According to the source, the changes are designed to protect sensitive information while maintaining operational functionality across Alipay+'s cross-border network.

Ant’s Broader Privacy Initiative

Ant’s latest move builds on a multi-year privacy technology program. Since at least 2022, Ant Group has open-sourced privacy tools, including SecretFlow, a software framework for privacy-preserving data analysis, according to the source. The company also released an open-source multiparty computation (MPC) library on GitHub. Ant established a privacy computing fund with the China Computer Federation, a Chinese computing industry and academic group, with an initial investment of more than US$600,000 for related research.

In Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) Privacy Enhancing Technology (PET) Sandbox, Ant and a partner tested a proof of concept that trained a more accurate prediction model with partner preference and behavioral data without exposing sensitive customer or business information, according to the source.

Business Applications and Market Positioning

The privacy upgrade enables new business applications for Alipay+. According to the source, it could support services that integrate payment and refund functions into AI assistants, with Ant building developer tools through an Alipay+ Model Context Protocol (MCP)-compatible server.

Singapore recognizes the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Cross-Border Privacy Rules (CBPR) and Privacy Recognition for Processors (PRP) certifications for overseas personal data transfers under the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). According to the source, this certification framework can streamline data transfers to certified recipients overseas, potentially strengthening Alipay+ as a trusted network for global commerce.

The upgrade aligns with Ant International’s expansion outside China and pursuit of partnerships tied to the US market. According to the source, Ant International has sponsored the New York Liberty, a US women’s professional basketball team, as part of this expansion strategy.