[drewfax]

Yes, UPI works. But it's a terrible system for privacy and autonomy. It has so many intermediaries, requires phone number and linked to person's identity. It should not be called a peer-to-peer payment system in anyway. It is controlled by the government rather than Visa or Mastercard. That's the only the difference.

[stAInley]

Sure, but visa and mastercard share their transactions with the US government (among others). "Hot Watch": where the US gov gets real time surveillance on a target. Bank Secrecy Act: where private networks and their issuing banks are legally mandated to act as unpaid deputies for the state. At least with UPI you're sharing with less governments?

[thedelanyo]

Money after all is controlled by the government anyway.