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* Level playing field is vital -BBA
* Says new technology is "tipping point" for banks
LONDON, March 24 (Reuters) - Technology companies offeringbanking services should be regulated in the same way as banks toensure that consumers are properly protected, the BritishBankers' Association (BBA) said on Tuesday.
Companies such as Google and Apple have emerged aschallengers to banks, offering payment services such as ApplePayand Google Wallet. Facebook said last week that it isintroducing a new app to allows users to send and receive money.
"More choice is good news for all, but it's vital thatregulators provide a level playing field, giving customers thesame robust protection wherever they choose to bank," BBA ChiefExecutive Anthony Browne said.
A report by the BBA and management consultants Accenture said that the digital revolution will be as much of achallenge for regulators as for banks.
"They will need to ensure that they do not damage consumerprotection, the fight against crime or financial stability bysqueezing misconduct or prudential risk out of the regulatedbanking sector into the non-regulated digital sector," it said.
JP Morgan Chief Executive Jamie Dimon andSantander's Executive Chairman Ana Botin have bothspoken about the growing threat to banks from technologybusinesses.
"This is a tipping point for the banking world," BBA chiefBrowne said. "On the one hand, this is a time of greatopportunity for our industry, as new types of technology allowus to serve our customers better and more efficiently than everbefore. But the change poses challenges, too."
The proportion of bank customers using mobile devices tobank online rose to 27 percent last year from 8 percent in 2010,with customers of major British banks now transferring more than1.7 billion pounds ($2.5 billion) a week via mobile devices.
Britain's Lloyds Banking Group, Royal Bank ofScotland and Barclays are all investing indigital technology and closing branches. ($1 = 0.6694 pounds) (Reporting by Matt Scuffham; Editing by David Goodman)
