Monzo customer complains about banking app's fast food 'shaming'

When does banter become inappropriate and humiliating?

- Rupert Jones

The digital bank Monzo has been accused of overstepping the mark by using the data it holds to tell one customer with a past eating disorder that she eats a lot of fast food, spends "more than most" on Just Eat takeaways, and had banished her life goals.Fiona Taylor* has escalated a complaint to the UK financial ombudsman after she was offended by what she called "shaming language" in the bank's end-of-year review.

Like Spotify Wrapped, which shows users of the streaming service their top songs and artists of the past year, Monzo sends customers a personalised annual review of how and where they spent their money.

The aim, says the bank, is to "provide an engaging and sometimes lighthearted summary of a customer's year" - but it has divided opinion.

On forums such as Reddit, some customers have criticised the Year in Monzo service for judging them and making "snarky" and "sarcastic" comments, while others said they were just a bit of fun.

Some customers shared screenshots that highlighted how much money they spent at the bakery chain Greggs or teased them for having an "unused oven".