Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

HSBC blocks its app due to F-Droid-installed Bitwarden

mastodon.neilzone.co.uk

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 242 posts

Re: HSBC blocks its app due to F-Droid-installed Bitwarden

#51

Post by nkrisc »

raverbashing wrote: post #29
hkt wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

An Italian citizen who was debanked essentially because Trump didn't like her: https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-28/the-comp... When it comes to this kind of thing, an injury to one is an injury to all and we need to not tolerate it. At minimum, we need regulations guaranteeing that Visa and MasterCard, as well as participating banks, aren't allowed to debank anyone without judicial oversight. Make the…

[flagged]

Wait until it’s you for some arbitrary reason.

Re: HSBC blocks its app due to F-Droid-installed Bitwarden

#52

Post by phantom784 »

grahamedgecombe wrote: post #14
yellow_lead wrote: post #6

I thought Google removed the API that let you see other apps on the device. Maybe there's another API I'm not aware of though

You can still request permission to use it for apps distributed via Google Play for a limited set of use cases: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answ... which is then subject to Google reviewing and approving it. I assume HSBC are using the "antivirus" use case.

Interesting, that also permits:

> Real-money gambling apps where the core purpose of the app is real money gambling and where the app requires broad package visibility in order to comply with technical standards mandated by applicable geofencing regulations.

I presume that's to allow the gambling apps to make sure you don't have a location spoofing app installed?

Re: HSBC blocks its app due to F-Droid-installed Bitwarden

#53

Post by saubeidl »

embedding-shape wrote: post #20
sschueller wrote: post #9

That's Google's SafeNet. HSBC picked a level that causes this. Google manages the blacklist of apps. We are rapidly losing our freedoms to the will of these companies. If they decide they don't want to they can even if the law doesn't forbid it. People in Switzerland and the EU are being de-banked by local banks because of US pressure allowing them to force any bank that wants to use USD. The US has started to sancti…

> and the EU are being de-banked by local banks because of US pressure allowing them to force any bank that wants to use USD What is this about? I'm a EU citizen, never heard about any EU citizen getting removed from any EU bank because of USD. Nor have I heard anyone being sanctioned by the US in the EU unless they're Russia-related somehow. Is there any link to a story about this?

Here's a German NGO that got debanked because of US pressure because they dare to be openly antifascist: https://rote-hilfe.de/meldungen/kontokuendigung-wegen-antifa...

Re: HSBC blocks its app due to F-Droid-installed Bitwarden

#54

Post by rwmj »

makeitdouble wrote: post #13
arccy wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think from HSBC's risk management perspective, it's fairly reasonable

A bank refusing you access because of your accessibility settings (app overlay is one) is not reasonable.

The problem (for the bank) is they are now liable in the UK[1] if you are defrauded because someone installs malware on the phone. There's basically zero upside for the bank to allow customers to use F-Droid, since probably 0.0001% of their customers would do this, compared to a vastly greater number of customers being tricked into installing random malware on their phones.

Accessibility settings are a tricky one since that's a separate law. I wonder if they whitelist screen reader apps from the official app store. Anyway that's not the case in the original article.

[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy94vz4zd7zo

Re: HSBC blocks its app due to F-Droid-installed Bitwarden

#55

Post by jjgreen »

andrepd wrote: post #44
raverbashing wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Irrelevant. I'd prefer laws and the courts to decide punishment for transgressions, rather than the arbitrary whims of a quasi-fascist. I'm old fashioned, I know.

quasi?

Re: HSBC blocks its app due to F-Droid-installed Bitwarden

#56

Post by pdpi »

delusional wrote: post #41
jeroenhd wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People investigation Israel for war crimes tend to get sanctioned by the Americans. Because European banks don't have the necessary guardrails to block an individual account from participating in their American-facing banking operations, they have to choose between being sanctioned themselves or kicking out their America-sanctioned customers. The real solution is for them to fix their shitty systems but I don't a han…

Not to sound cynical, but what's to stop these officials from picking non-multinational regional bank?

I'm an EU citizen and UK resident. If I were to become one of those officials, my banking situation would become much more complex. One of the defining characteristics of the EU (not that the UK ever cared, even before leaving) is Freedom of Movement, and this is a credible threat to that freedom.

Re: HSBC blocks its app due to F-Droid-installed Bitwarden

#57

Post by JumpCrisscross »

sschueller wrote: post #28
kypro wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To play devil's advocate for a moment, could this not be a risk? Is Google implementing a rule which blockes any 3rd party app which wants access to things like the keystore (which could be reasonable), or are they deliberately blocking Bitwarden?

Yes it does. But my device, my choice. If I put my cash the under my mattress instead of a safe that is my dumb decision.

> But my device, my choice

Given there is a choice, and given HSBC is on the hook if you get hacked in most jurisdictions, it seems fair to chalk this one up as a stupid move by HSBC that's nevertheless within their rights.

Re: HSBC blocks its app due to F-Droid-installed Bitwarden

#58

Post by phantom784 »

hkt wrote: post #15

Ditch apps on your phone and pick banking that gives good, robust online banking. I was cut off by Starling for something similar and had to choose between a factory reset of my phone and my bank. I explained that my phone had free software on it, some of which I'd written, and it made no difference. Apps are a tool of control and surveillance and it is time we stopped tying ourselves to them. Dumb phones or degoogle…

Would they not just let you keep the account but not use their app in that case?

Re: HSBC blocks its app due to F-Droid-installed Bitwarden

#59

Post by jeroenhd »

zb3 wrote: post #5

We can't let banking apps invade our property.. things like banking apps need so much control in order to be secure that they need to exist on dedicated devices.

That's not really necessary, though I understand why banks are doing this when they're held responsible for their customers' inability to spot fraud before hitting the "transfer my life savings into a Bitcoin wallet" button.

Having a dedicated "banking device" is a good solution for power users, though I'd probably just switch banks if my bank tries to pull that bullshit on me.

Re: HSBC blocks its app due to F-Droid-installed Bitwarden

#60

Post by wazoox »

delusional wrote: post #41
jeroenhd wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People investigation Israel for war crimes tend to get sanctioned by the Americans. Because European banks don't have the necessary guardrails to block an individual account from participating in their American-facing banking operations, they have to choose between being sanctioned themselves or kicking out their America-sanctioned customers. The real solution is for them to fix their shitty systems but I don't a han…

Not to sound cynical, but what's to stop these officials from picking non-multinational regional bank?

You can't have a credit card which makes your life miserable in the modern world even if you can find a bank : Visa, Master Card, Amex are all American.
Post reply on HN