Forced Call Permissions Violate Privacy and Google Play Policies

I’m extremely disappointed with Standard Bank’s latest update to their banking app. The app now forces users to accept phone/call permissions via a feature called Trust Call, or else you’re completely locked out of accessing your account. This is not optional — you either give up your phone privacy or lose access to your banking.

This is a clear violation of Google Play’s developer policies, which explicitly state that Call Log and SMS permissions may only be used if they are essential to the app’s core functionality. A banking app’s core purpose is to manage finances — not to access call data. I know how to protect myself from skammers so I certainly don’t need this feature to use the app.

Standard Bank’s approach is invasive, unnecessary, and *********. It’s unacceptable for a financial institution to hold access to your money hostage unless you surrender sensitive phone permissions.

If you’re experiencing this issue, I strongly urge you to report Standard Bank to Google via the Play Store:

Open the Standard Bank app page on the Play Store. Scroll down and tap “Flag as inappropriate”. Select “Other objection” and explain that the app is violating Google’s policy on restricted permissions. Let’s hold developers accountable and protect our digital privacy.