We, the undersigned, urge ANZ Bank to reconsider the recent implementation of mandatory voice recognition confirmation for mobile banking transactions. This new security mechanism has rendered the mobile banking app impractical and insecure for many users, especially small business owners who rely on the app for managing significant business expenses.

Background Information: ANZ Bank has updated its mobile internet banking security mechanism, requiring users to speak a phrase aloud for transactions over a certain amount. This change was made without offering businesses the option to opt in or out and has raised several serious concerns about practicality, security, and privacy.

Objective: We request ANZ Bank to provide an option to opt out of the mandatory voice recognition confirmation and revert to SMS as a security verification method.

Call to Action: Sign this petition to demand that ANZ Bank listens to its customers and offers a more practical and secure alternative to the current voice recognition system.

Petition Details:

Recipient: ANZ Bank Management

Reasoning:

Security Concerns: The mandatory voice recognition system requires users to speak a phrase aloud in public, making it possible for others to record and misuse this information. This poses a significant security risk, as anyone with a recording of the phrase can potentially authorise large transactions.

Privacy Violations: Announcing large transactions in public violates user privacy, exposing sensitive financial activities to anyone within earshot.

Implementation Issues: The system was automatically set up without sourcing a voice sample from users, leading to reliability issues. For example, some users, including the petition organiser, have found the system non-functional because their voice sample was never provided.

Practicality: The system requires a completely quiet environment to function correctly. This makes mobile banking impractical in common situations such as driving, travelling, or any environment with background noise. Small business owners, who need to manage large transactions on the go, may find it nearly impossible to use the app effectively.

Personal Story: As a service-providing business owner, I must work the hours I'm paid for, which are the hours I spend one-on-one with clients. This means business administration tasks must be done in my own time. As a business-owning mum with responsibilities to my children, I often need to handle these tasks while waiting for kids' appointments or during other errands. Being able to conduct internet banking on the go is essential for keeping my business running. This new voice recognition system limits where and when I can use mobile banking, making it difficult, if not impossible, to manage essential business tasks efficiently.

 The inability to conduct secure and private transactions on the go jeopardises my ability to pay bills and manage finances, ultimately threatening the functionality of my business.