Companies looking for greater certainty about how they might avoid criminal prosecution for bribery, fraud, and corruption offences may find theyโre going to be disappointed if theyโre looking for definitive answers in the latest guidance from the U.K.โs main fraud investigator, say experts.
Neil Hodge
Neil Hodge is a freelance business journalist and photographer based in Nottingham, United Kingdom. He writes on insurance and risk management, corporate governance, internal audit, compliance, and legal issues for a wide range of publications in the United Kingdom and United States.
EU loosens AI and data rules
Europe has been at the forefront of designing strongโbut flexibleโrules around data use and the safe development of AI, but the EU recently announced plans to simplify some key measures around data privacy and AI governance, which have met with mixed responses.
FCA helps firms to test Artificial Intelligence tools safely
The U.K.โs financial regulator has set up a live-testing environment so that firms can road-test their Artificial Intelligence (AI) services safely before launching them to the public.
SFO sharpens framework for judging compliance programs in bribery and fraud cases
The U.K. Serious Fraud Office (SFO) hasย updated its guidanceย about how it evaluates corporate complianceย programs when considering whether to prosecute or offer leniency to companies that have breached bribery and corruption laws.
EU moves to simplify GDPR and AI Act obligations, raising compliance questions for companies
For the past decade, Europe has led in creating strong but flexible rules for data use and safe AI development. The EUโs new plans to simplify key data privacy and AI governance measures have received a mixed response.
U.K. data regulator pushes transparency on investigations while businesses seek clarity on compliance
Plans to increase transparency around how the U.K.โs Information Commissioner investigates and fines companies should give businesses more clarity, but experts say the regulator still needs to explain how it will prioritize cases.
FRCโs plans for more flexible enforcement gains support
Plans to give the U.K.โs audit regulator more options to regulate firms for sloppy work have been largely well received by experts, who believe the current system is โinflexible,โ โcumbersome,โ and โslow.โ
U.K. outlines AI sandbox plan as regulators weigh compliance risks
Theย U.K.ย has set out a new blueprint for AI regulation, which aims to slash bureaucracy and ramp up the safe adoption of new and emerging technology to unlock potential and boost investment.
U.K. proposed changes to AML supervision
The U.K.โs financial services regulator will take a more central role as part of the governmentโs plans to simplifyโand improveโefforts to clamp down on money laundering and terrorist financing.
Compliance survey shows clawback policies and cooperation tools largely unused
Many companies have strong compliance policies to encourage cooperation with regulators and hold staff accountable, but these policies are rarely used, and cooperation often depends on cost and business benefit, according to a new survey of compliance professionals.


