Half of Canada’s major banks use “screen scraping,” a controversial method that accesses customer accounts using login credentials, The Logic reports. BMO, RBC, and National Bank are among the institutions employing this practice, which enables apps to aggregate financial data but exposes users to privacy risks.
While nine million Canadians have used screen scraping, privacy advocates warn of cyber threats. Banks’ terms of service typically prohibit credential sharing, yet the lack of open banking alternatives has led to reliance on this insecure method. Experts like Koho CEO Daniel Eberhard blame Canada’s stalled open banking progress for the continued risks.
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