To both clean up corporate behaviour and rack up its own enforcement record, the UK’s anti-bribery agency has seemingly largely guaranteed companies a pass from prosecution if they spill the beans on their misconduct. There’s only one problem: experts believe businesses may still stand a better outcome if they front it out rather than self-report and hope for a deal.
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Posted inEthics & Culture
Survey: Compliance, now at the leadership table, navigates an uncertain risk landscape
At a time when the Trump administration is rewriting many of the rules, the compliance function is being embraced as a strategic partner to the C-suite and board, Compliance Week’s 2024 “Inside the Mind of the CCO” survey shows. The new objective: risk-assess the implications of Trump’s confetti of executive orders and actions.
Posted inEthics & Culture
Survey: Compliance faces ‘epistemic risk’ of Trump administration
Compliance officers are coping with uncertainty following President Trump’s election win, with fewer choosing to disclose their political affiliations in this year’s pulse survey. Since Inauguration Day, the President’s actions have signaled a capricious era of compliance, one where respect for dissent might be in question.
Posted inData Privacy
FTC orders GoDaddy to upgrade cybersecurity defenses following three breaches
The Federal Trade Commission has ordered web hosting company GoDaddy to implement a “robust” information security program following at least three data breaches that the agency said were aided by lax cybersecurity measures.
Posted inFinancial Services
Not just for the rich: SEC may make closed-end funds available to retail investors
Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins indicated he favors changing the agency’s requirement that only the wealthy can invest in so-called “closed-end” private equity funds and hedge funds.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
FTC cracks down on student loan companies for false forgiveness claims
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took action against a pair of student loan debt relief companies for allegedly deceiving borrowers. The move came despite the Trump administration’s broader efforts to roll back enforcement actions against businesses since taking office.
Posted inEurope
Q&A: Symphony general counsel Corinna Mitchell on regulators’ push for supply chain resilience
Secure, resilient communications and trading platforms are critical both to financial services firms and to governments that know their economies depend upon them, says Corinna Mitchell, General Counsel at FS digital communications provider Symphony. That’s why her company is investing more in managing rapidly evolving compliance demands from multiple regulators across international borders.
Posted inEthics & Culture
Tesla’s Musk Turmoil and Kohls CEO dismissal over ethics failures marks are example of public rebuke of executive leadership
Two CEOs of high-profile American companies received rare public votes of no-confidence from their boards of directors this week, just as attendees at Compliance Week’s 20th Anniversary National Conference discussed their role in upholding business ethics and executive accountability.
Posted inEthics & Culture
Directors should be more accountable for failure, while also taking more risks, says U.K. regulator
Director accountability is back in the spotlight in the U.K., even as the government pushes for regulatory simplification to cut red tape and drive growth. This raises questions about how boards can be encouraged to take risks to grow their businesses while also being held more accountable for governance failings. As regulators and auditors debate where the line between accountability and ambition should fall, what should compliance managers be advising boards, and what changes are already in progress?
Posted inEurope
EU ramps up antitrust pressure on Apple, Meta business models amid Trump tariff negotiations
The European Union issued significant antitrust fines against two tech titans, hitting Apple with 500 million euros (U.S. $570 million) and Facebook owner Meta with 200 million euros (U.S. $228 million). The move sought to undermine key parts of both companies’ businesses less than a month after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a plan for worldwide trade tariffs.
