New payments tab deadnaming (and privacy concerns)

Hi, just got the latest Android beta update and decided to check out the changes to the payment tab. To my horror, it was deadnaming a few of my friends.

It also converted nicknames to formal names (though it didn’t do this to everyone), which means one would presumably be able to use Monzo to get a full name by just knowing a Monzo customer’s phone number.

All around, not good, not good at all…

It does this by cross-matching a customers phone number with their account, which of course has their name on.

This feature only works if you have Payments with Friends turned on, and it can be turned off at any time.

Well, yes, but this is one of those cases of ‘just because something is possible, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea’. Trans people still legally going by a deadname for whatever reason, journalists, abuse victims, etc may still want to use payments with friends.

At the very least, if this is mandatory for the new name check requirements from government (which are a bad idea…) then payments with friends needs a ‘mutuals only’ option.

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Surely this means that any friends with Monzo accounts still have their deadname in their own phone though? Or am I misreading.

I agree this is an area that needs better options.

No, it appears to give the legal name on account for some (but not all, for one friend it gives their nickname, so maybe it uses name on card?) people based on phone number.

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iv said the same about the fact
(if i send you money - then you know my account number and sort code who ever i bank with)
no other bank do this
its my not be the end of the world, but i think its a security issue.

Ahhh ok. Then yes, an option to be able to adjust/change/update such details sounds like a good addition.

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I mean you CAN change them with a deed poll easily enough for most people but:

  • Non-UK citizens
  • Dual citizens where their other citizenship doesn’t allow name changes easily
  • People not out to family
  • Informants and journalists etc who want to be able to give out their phone number without their name
  • Some abuse victims
  • Anyone who values some privacy
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As you say, most people who can easily change this have probably done it anyway? So let’s protect those in your list (and others).

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I was responding more to your suggestion that this was a privacy issue.

But, yes, I understand that if you go by a name different to your legal name, this could be distressing. Perhaps an option to have a display name might be helpful.

It’s still a privacy issue. You might want to give someone your phone number but not your name (think informants and whistleblowers) or you might not want someone to know your deadname.

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This is a very specific use case. That’s not to say I don’t feel some refinements could aid privacy.

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It is? What data are you basing that comment on? I can think of 20 or so people in my immediate life who would ‘qualify’ on the list above.

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I guess my point is that you can turn off the social features, which would give out your name, and just use a sort code and account no. if you wish.

Nonetheless, some features to handle who can see what about your information would be useful.

(And maybe a burner phone for all those government informants!)

I don’t know of any financial service that, using a sort code and account number, would allow me NOT to send my name?

Anyway, I think Monzo can lead the way here and apply some ‘smarter’ thinking.

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I’d much prefer Monzo to use phone contact names throughout the app because it’s easier to figure out who’s who, especially if a person is commonly known as a different name to the name they used when signing up to their account.

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Exactly, which is what it does until you click on a person.

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All my payers in the “All” contact list always show the account-setup name, so do payees in Shared Tabs.

(I’m on iOS)