In a dramatic U-turn, Commonwealth Bank of Australia has been forced to scrap a deeply intrusive financial health check that asked customers startlingly personal questions about their relationships, health, and financial wellbeing.
The Questions That Crossed the Line
The controversial survey, which sparked immediate backlash, probed into areas most customers consider strictly private. Among the most concerning questions were those asking customers to rate how "supported by friends and family" they felt and to disclose whether they had "someone to turn to" for financial advice.
Other invasive queries included:
- Requests to detail physical and mental health status
- Questions about relationship satisfaction and personal support networks
- Intrusive probes into financial confidence and security
Customer Backlash Forces Rapid Retreat
The bank's attempt to position these questions as part of a "financial health check" was met with widespread anger from customers who saw it as a blatant overreach into personal privacy.
One furious customer captured the general sentiment, asking: "Since when is it a bank's business to know about my mental health or whether I'm happy in my relationship? This is none of their concern."
The backlash was swift and severe across social media platforms, with many customers threatening to close their accounts and questioning how this deeply personal information would be stored and used.
Bank's Swift Damage Control
Facing mounting criticism, Commonwealth Bank moved quickly to contain the fallout. A bank spokesperson confirmed the withdrawal, stating: "We have listened to customer feedback and have removed this financial health check while we make changes."
The bank emphasised that participation was always voluntary and that no customer data from the withdrawn health check would be retained in their systems.
Broader Implications for Banking Privacy
This incident raises significant questions about how far financial institutions should go in gathering personal data from customers. While banks increasingly position themselves as holistic financial partners, this case demonstrates clear boundaries that customers are unwilling to cross.
Privacy advocates have welcomed the bank's retreat, but warn that this incident serves as a crucial reminder for all financial institutions about the importance of respecting customer privacy and maintaining appropriate boundaries in data collection practices.
The episode leaves Commonwealth Bank facing important questions about its internal approval processes and how such an intrusive questionnaire ever made it to customers in the first place.
