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.
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ArticleWill U.K. mandate that Big Four separate audit units make a difference?
The FRC hopes its demand that the Big Four isolate their audit units from their other businesses by 2024 will improve their ethical behavior … but some are skeptical.
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Ireland’s GDPR report shows it’s yet to hold Big Tech accountable
The Irish Data Protection Commission review of its GDPR investigations has come under fire for ignoring Big Tech and lacking information pertinent to inquiries into firms like Apple, Facebook, Google, and more.
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EC report: More harmonization needed in GDPR efforts
The European Commission believes the General Data Protection Regulation is an “overall success” but points to harmonization among member states as an area for improvement.
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FCA fines Lloyds $80M for mistreating mortgage customers
A group of prominent U.K. banks—Lloyds chief among them—is facing a £64 million (U.S. $80 million) fine for unfair treatment of mortgage customers from 2011-2015.
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FRC strikes out again as third Tesco probe ends
The U.K. Financial Reporting Council has ended its third and final investigation into the Tesco accounting scandal, yet again failing to find anyone responsible for the overstating of £250 million (U.S. $317.5 million) in profits.
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Two years in, GDPR defined by mixed signals, unbalanced enforcement
It’s been two years since the EU’s GDPR went into effect, and we still don’t know how lingering questions about compliance—as well as non-compliance—will be answered going forward.
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Six things CCOs need to know about ICO’s AI guidance
The U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office released guidance to help organizations explain how AI is used in decision making and how the technology uses personal data to form judgments.
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Longtime holdout Ireland issues first GDPR fine
Child and family agency Tusla has become the first company to receive a fine from the Irish Data Protection Commission for violations of the General Data Protection Regulation.
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EC unveils six-point plan to tackle money laundering
The European Commission’s new six-point plan highlights what measures the agency will take to enforce, supervise, and coordinate EU rules on combating money laundering and terrorist financing.
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KPMG faces $306M negligence claim over Carillion audit
U.K. government liquidators are preparing to sue KPMG for £250 million (U.S. $306 million) over alleged negligence in its audits of collapsed construction firm Carillion.
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Amazon shuttered in France over COVID-19 emergency costs
E-commerce giant Amazon has shut up shop in France because the cost of compliance with the country’s COVID-19 emergency measures is deemed to be too high.
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European regulators warn coronavirus villains will be punished … eventually
While EU regulators have not engaged in investigations yet or launched many (or any) coronavirus-related enforcement actions, lawyers warn they will do so later down the line and believe they will tackle “worst offenders” first.
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Tech firm: GDPR ‘in danger of failing’ due to lack of resources
A new report says Europe’s data protection regulators don’t have the skills, knowledge, or budget to effectively enforce such privacy rules as the GDPR.
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EDPB aims to clarify app development needs in coronavirus battle
The European Data Protection Board has released guidelines that aim to help app developers and regulators process individuals’ health data without compromising their privacy under such regulations as the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive.
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Don’t count on European regulators to relax rules during coronavirus crisis
European businesses may be putting themselves at risk because they mistakenly believe regulators are prepared to loosen the rules so companies can operate more easily as the coronavirus pandemic lingers on.
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Standard Chartered fined $24.9M for Ukraine sanctions breaches
The U.K. Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation hit Standard Chartered Bank for a record fine relating to loans the bank made to Russian financial institutions in violation of the EU’s sanction regime.
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8 compliance challenges facing European companies in coronavirus crisis
Due diligence, data, solvency, and supply chain management risks are just some of the issues Europe’s employers are struggling with as normal business has come to a standstill during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Confusion around GDPR during coronavirus prompts EDPB response
The European Data Protection Board has released a statement attempting to clarify how personal data can be processed by companies during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
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Study: Fear of data breaches stifling bank innovation
Research by consultancy firm Accenture shows companies in financial services are more concerned with guarding themselves against the impact of a data breach than realizing any financial benefits of using the data.
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Advice for European compliance officers dealing with coronavirus
Although the coronavirus situation is constantly changing, lawyers say there are several areas of corporate life that are going to test compliance officers and which management will need greater assurance on.
