John Gruber criticizes Merrick Garland and team, but highlights the privacy benefits of using Apple Pay through Wallet. The system obfuscates credit card numbers, making it more private than using the actual credit card itself. The unique feature of Apple Pay is the use of DPAN, which is separate from FPAN and functions as a generic term in digital wallets. This provides customers with added security in the event of data breaches. However, Gruber fails to mention that DPAN remains the same for subsequent transactions at the same merchant, allowing individual merchants to track transaction history. Apple Pay does not obscure personal information, as all relevant data is shared with merchants during transactions. Overall, Apple Pay is praised for mainstreaming digital wallets, but it’s emphasized that its features are not unique in the industry.
https://birchtree.me/blog/digital-wallets-and-the-only-apple-pay-does-this-mythology/