I have been engaged in chat with the support team via the app as I have been recently unable to send money requests without allowing access to my phone book.
I removed access to my phone book ages ago when I saw I was matched with people I really didn’t want knowing my personal banking arrangements.
Now I have used requesting money via a link in the past with no issues. I know it was possible before. However the team are saying I have to enable phonebook.
Nope, not on for privacy purposes (imho).
But now they have sent me the attached. From what I can see, if anyone has my number, and also banks with Monzo, the app will confirm that I bank with monzo without me having given my permission for that information to be revealed.
This doesn’t feel right to me. It feels like I should be allowed to restrict that info if I wanted to.
Though interested to understand other people’s thoughts?
I have no worries about people knowing that I bank with Monzo.
If they have my mobile number in their phone then it’s because I gave it to them; frankly I’m more careful about sharing that kind of info than the existence of a bank account and my preferred name.
I do though and feel I should have the choice of how my data is exposed.
Two examples why:
a bad break up where I want an ex to know nothing about my ongoing situation after changing banks. I have no way of making them delete my number but can block them from contacting me. With this, they could stumble upon it. They know pretty much everything about me… it opens up issues.
bank fraud usually happened with data gathering. With this, a frauster just has to gather a long list of mobile numbers harvested in some way (your number will be on a list somewhere - doesn’t matter you haven’t given it). They just upload this list to an iPhone, fraudulently open an account, and they have added extra info to that data list.
It’s just not for me. So I want the option to turn that off.
I believe in settings if you turn off payments with friends then no one (new?) can see you’re on monzo, but if you just block the app accessing your contacts in your phone settings then people can still see.
But turning off payments with friends stops your monzo.me link working unfortunately.
When my mate signed up for monzo I couldn’t send him money in monzo for ages, I thought it was a caching issue, but when he turned on payments with friends I could send money to him.
These were my observations a few months ago , it could have changed.
It seems strange as I have used the function in the past without having contacts turned on, so it cannot be required unless monzo need it to contain costs.
If someone else has your number, no matter how they have it, and they sync contacts to monzo, the app will confirm our account - with no permission sought - and no ability to restrict it. Nothing to do with sharing our own phone books.
They would therefore have your bank provider, name, and potentially picture to attach to your telephone number.
Why should I change my number, which is in SO many (private) places because my bank has a policy that shouldn’t in my opinion be there to compromise it?
If there is an option, it should be publically available.
It’s like having the ability to go ex directory. Just give me the option.
I am confused now - you do not worry about an ex having the number, but that they can find out you bank with Monzo using it?
It is not my area of expertise by any stretch, but I cannot see a rescue shelter, for instance, advising you to keep the same number and so on (*in the case of hypothetical extremely bad breakup)
