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where banks and insurers move from reliance on credit available credit can result in irresponsible lending. The
agencies and volunteered information, and towards technology that has improved lending conditions for
mining social-media profiles, web-browsing, loyalty cards consumers in general, has also brought ease and
and phone-location trackers. It also reports that in a convenience to the world of payday and predatory
trial: FICO, America's main credit-scorer, found that the lending - meaning that consumers denied credit
words someone uses in his Facebook status could help elsewhere and/or quite possibly in desperate
predict his creditworthiness. Even facial expressions and circumstances can now access high cost, potentially
tone of voice are being studied for risk assessment. toxic credit within minutes.
Y Disparity in Services: While advocates for mining Y Systemic risks
personal data stand to benefit customer from Minimal cost distribution and accelerated network
personalised products and keener pricing, the scope for effects can result in online services reaching and being
consumer detriment is significant. Other way such used by millions in a much shorter space of time than
practices could actually increase financial exclusion as was possible with analogue services. Innovative new
consumers seen as risky and those lacking a digital financial technology is widely adopted before any
footprint could be priced out. The use of closed, inherent flaws or risks are properly understood, or
proprietary algorithms could also lead to a situation before regulators can make a proper assessment of
where consumers are denied access to a service based whether the service at scale poses a systemic risk, and
on an inaccurate correlation, but are unable to the safeguards required if it does.
determine why or to correct underlying assumptions.
Conclusion
Y Cherry picking and the risk of price discrimination:
Although, FinTech enables affordable financial services, The potential for financial technology to deliver significant
enhanced insights into the behaviors of consumers and benefit to consumers in driving greater choice and
prospective consumers. This gives rise to the possibility competition, and in opening up access to core financial
that some providers may seek to offer services only to services in parts of the world where consumers have long
the most profitable or least risky segments and shut been denied these. In markets where access to banking is
others out of the market. The data practices outlined widespread and beyond basic services consumers set to look
above can also give rise to price discrimination, where the benefits of Improved consumer experience; Reduced
a provider offers incentives to its preferred segments costs, greater transparency; Richer insights into own
and charges premier rates to the rest. financial well-being, along with actionable advice on steps.
At the same time, a number of risks and detriments are
Y Cybercrime & vulnerable technologies: Financial
emerging from excessive use of financial technologies, chief
technology heavily dependent on the Internet, as such
amongst these is the prospect of 'fintrusion'.
it is vulnerable to cybercrime and espionage, with the
latter increasingly important in geopolitics. This Reference:
digitization and consequent vulnerability will remain a
Y RBI report of the working group on Fintech and digital
major concern for governments, policy-makers,
banking : November:2017
regulators and industry participants, as well as
customers. The integrity of the financial sector could Y Fintech Disruption Report by ACI Worldwide &
be at stake if insecure data use eroded trust, which is MagnaCarta Communication: 2017
fuelled by the recent past breach of cyber security in
Y Global Fintech report: How Fintech shaping the financial
ATMs, debit cards of various banks in India. Worldby PWC : March 2016
Y When improved access to credit can be problematic Y World Fintech Report by Capgemini, LinkedIn, and Efma
FinTech firms have created platforms that both : 2018
streamline the application processes and crunch data
Y Impact of Financial Technologies on the Banking Sector
in ways that enable a rapid decision on whether a loan
is to be made. This means qualifying consumers are able by Kolesova I. V. and Girzheva Y. S.
to access loans in minutes. While these can be positive Y Next in tech: How technology is redefining financial
developments, there are instances where easily services in 2018 and beyond- PWC (2018)

44 | 2019 | MAY | BANKING FINANCE