Swedish telecommunications giant Ericsson announced the conclusion of the independent compliance monitorship imposed on the company following its 2019 settlement for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Europe
Experts express skepticism toward ‘challenging’ SFO strategy
The U.K. Serious Fraud Office last month published its five-year strategic plan outlining how it intends to improve information gathering and international cooperation, as well as its enforcement record.
BaFin relaxes growth restrictions on N26 following AML improvements
German financial regulatory authority BaFin lifted growth restrictions on N26, after the digital bank made improvements to its anti-money laundering program.
HSBC fined $8M by FCA for mishandling customers in default
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority fined HSBC nearly £6.3 million (U.S. $8 million) for failing to properly consider the financial position of customers who missed payments.
N26 fined $9.6M for not timely filing AML reports to BaFin
Germany’s financial supervisory authority issued a fine of €9.2 million euros against mobile bank N26 for “systematically” submitting late anti-money laundering reports.
Citi unit fined $78.6M by U.K. regs for trading control failures
The Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority combined to fine a London-based Citigroup subsidiary approximately £61.7 million (U.S. $78.6 million) for control failures related to its trading system.
Survey: Social media remains vexing issue for financial firms
A recent survey by surveillance technology firm SteelEye found most financial institutions do not monitor their employees’ use of social media or factor in market risks exacerbated by social media posts.
Senate report cites VW, BMW, JLR for potential forced labor violations
A U.S. Senate report found three European automakers—Volkswagen, BMW, and Jaguar Land Rover—sold cars in the United States with parts sourced from a supplier suspected of using forced labor from China’s Xinjiang region.
ESMA guidelines tackle greenwashing via fund names
The European Securities and Markets Authority published its final report containing guidance for the use of environmental, social, and governance- and sustainability-related terminology in fund names.
Crowe U.K. dinged $181K by FRC for Aseana Properties audit failures
Crowe U.K. was assessed a penalty of £144,000 (U.S. $181,000) by the U.K. Financial Reporting Council for failures in its audit of Aseana Properties Limited’s financial statements for the year ended Dec. 31, 2019.


