The EMTA system (E-commerce Customer Authentication) was launched by the E-commerce Development Center of the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade (MIMT). EMTA's principal objective is the real-time identity verification and validation of "sellers" for governmental databases in the field of e-commerce. Through online inquiries from the information databases of various institutions, the system verifies the accuracy of the information declared by customers.

While the system officially seeks to reduce fraud in e-commerce, it can also place valuable information about the details of individuals' economic activities at the disposal of regulatory bodies. EMTA functions as a government-controlled data-collection hub that enables regulatory bodies to monitor individuals' commercial activities. In other words, it has a dual mission: it operates both as a service platform designed to facilitate e-commerce (an incentive for businesses) and as a regulatory instrument used by the government to impose control over the digital market (a source of pressure). This internal duality has fueled ongoing controversies and resistance regarding its implementation.

The official narrative of the E-commerce Development Center emphasizes user convenience, security, and support for businesses. However, the system's most prominent and most compulsory use cases have emerged in response to economic crises, such as price inflation in the automobile market. The intervention of the Prosecutor General's Office in making the use of EMTA mandatory in particular sectors of the economy confirms that its role extends beyond enabling e-commerce. The system is also an instrument for law enforcement and economic regulation.

This system collects detailed records of the goods and services transacted (SKU-level data), transaction histories, and identity-linked interactions. Given its integration into the government's digital-governance infrastructure, even state media have criticized EMTA over its opaque identity-verification process and the potential for excessive access to information.