Despite uncertainty, whistleblowers still have incentives to report misconduct
Whistleblowing in the United States is being buffered by uncertainty from regulators who are backing off policing corruption and consumer protections. Regulators like the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission are being thrown into disarray by layoffs and restructuring. Still, whistleblowers will likely continue coming forward.
How to convince companies about compliance during deregulation
At some point, many compliance professionals say they’ve met an executive who approached their role dismissively. “I don’t want to talk about anything that doesn’t bring money in the door,” one attendee remembers a senior executive saying to them.
Trickle of CFPB lawsuit dismissals poised to become a flood
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has quickly become one of the most active agencies advancing the Trump administration’s pullback on prosecuting corporations, as it dropped yet another consumer protection lawsuit against a financial services company Wednesday.
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. ...
UK’s deregulation drive raises compliance risk, say top lawyers
The United Kingdom’s latest effort to encourage regulators to pare down rules to attract companies and investment as a way to stimulate the economy has received mixed reviews from lawyers.
Is Google headed for a breakup? Second federal judge calls it a monopoly
A federal judge has ruled that Google “willfully engaged in a series of anticompetitive acts” in the advertising technology industry, the latest antitrust setback in what could become a string of losses for tech companies.
AI regulation: U.K. sits on regulatory fence between U.S. and E.U.
The U.K. has pressed pause on artificial intelligence regulation as its government comes under twin pressures from those who fear the growing power of unregulated AI and the overriding need to generate growth. The postponement of long-expected legislation means that the U.K. is left sitting on the fence between federal ...
Senate Democrats urge DOJ to revive crypto crime unit amid growing enforcement concerns
A small band of Senate Democrats is calling on the Trump administration to reinstate the cryptocurrency investigations unit at the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Trump is making it harder for whistleblowers. That’s a problem for corporate America
As U.S. President Donald Trump takes a wrecking ball to the norms, rules, and laws that have governed the United States for decades, whistleblowing as we know it – a way to right wrongs, call out misconduct and hold people accountable – may be under threat.
Trump family buys into crypto as regulators consider soft touch on the industry
Any doubts that the new administration will take a light touch to upcoming cryptocurrency regulation vanished with President Donald Trump’s launch of his own stablecoin and his family’s growing investments in crypto businesses.
Banks reported more than $1 B in suspicious activity–much of it fentanyl linked
Banks alerted authorities to $1.4 billion in suspicious transactions in 2024, a big assist in the nation’s fight against crime and fentanyl trafficking, according to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
U.K. aims to streamline regulation to boost economic growth as markets fall
The U.K.’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has promised a “radical action plan” to cut the cost of regulation to businesses by a quarter and boost economic growth. Now the Cabinet Office has written to government departments requiring them to justify every quango, with the presumption that these semipublic ...
Trump attempts to block state climate laws with executive order
President Donald Trump has issued an executive order slamming state-led efforts to address climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and other environmental, social, and governance (ESG)-related laws.
New cybersecurity requirements fast approaching for New York financial firms
Many financial firms have mere days to notify New York about whether they have complied with the state’s strict cybersecurity regulations, and to gear up for new requirements rolling out May 1 and beyond.
FCA faces criticism for email retention policy critics say risks erasing evidence
The UK’s financial regulator has come under fire for its announcement that it is going to delete emails after a year in an effort to become a more “efficient” regulator, raising concerns that it might accidentally erase evidence in the process.
States require companies to report greenhouse gas emissions as federal regulators step back
Some companies doing business in California and New York may soon be required to report the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of their operations to state authorities, even as the federal rule for disclosing such emissions is on life support.
California Attorney General Bonta warns businesses that FCPA still in full force
The federal government may have paused enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), but that’s not the case in California, where bribes to foreign officials will be prosecuted, Attorney General Rob Bonta warned.
EU looking to scale back GDPR in coming weeks
The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation has been in effect since 2018, requiring companies to securely handle users’ personal data. The European Commission will reportedly review the regulations and claw back some of the rules, which could make doing business in Europe a little easier for these companies.
Companies unprepared for European Accessibility Act as June deadline looms
An accessible website should be a basic requirement for businesses, allowing the largest number of people to access a company’s content and services. With technology as an enabler, it also makes good business sense. After all, why would any organization want to hinder customer access? However, many websites are not ...
Trump’s pivot on crypto leads SEC to seek settlement with Gemini
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s pivot in favor of crypto took another step as the agency indicated it wants to resolve a long-standing lawsuit against the crypto exchange Gemini.
OFAC, FinCEN tighten screws on Sinaloa Cartel’s money laundering network
The Trump administration has taken two actions to attack money laundering rings operating in Mexico, highlighting the U.S. government’s focus on curbing the fentanyl trade and the illegal profits it generates.
Dismissed Democrats on Federal Trade Commission sue Trump administration
Two former Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission–Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter–filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and the remaining commissioners, claiming their recent termination was without cause and that the courts should rule their dismissals as “unlawful and ineffective.”
Republican-led SEC abandons climate rule; Dem commissioner calls move ‘unlawful’
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Republican leadership is abandoning the climate-related disclosure rule package passed last year by Democrats, hoping that the courts will kill regulations already on life support.
EU regulator questions 'culture of compliance' with Digital Markets Act at Apple, Google
The European Commission released its preliminary findings last week regarding Apple and Google not complying with the Digital Markets Act. It issued orders to both companies regarding their business practice and plans to release all of its findings next week.
Treasury reversal of OFAC sanctions against Tornado Cash signals eroding AML scrutiny
The U.S. Treasury Department lifted its sanctions against cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash on Friday after a federal appeals court ruled in November the penalty levied by the agency’s Office of Foreign Assets Control was an overreach.
RTX and Raytheon: A case study in juggling four compliance monitors
In October 2024, aerospace and defense company Raytheon and parent company RTX reached a $950 million settlement with U.S. government agencies to resolve multiple federal law violations. More significant than the criminal penalties were the four compliance monitorships that came with the agreements.
FinCEN drops BOI requirement for U.S. companies, persons
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued a final interim rule that eliminates beneficial ownership information reporting obligations for U.S.-based companies and persons.
The future of DEI isn’t about ‘diversity’
With White House directives ending DEI programs across the U.S. government, many companies are now facing the question of how to meet their diversity goals without upsetting the political climate. The answer has been to give up the name but not the spirit of DEI.
Democratic FTC commissioners blast Trump's 'illegal' firings
President Donald Trump fired two Democratic commissioners serving on the Federal Trade Commission, the regulatory agency overseeing antitrust and consumer protection laws and which has been traditionally independent and staffed by members of both political parties.
Trump picks Fed vice chair of supervision, aims to roll back 2023 bank protections
Federal Reserve Board member Michelle Bowman has been nominated as the board’s vice chair for supervision, a position that oversees regulation of the nation’s largest banks.
Expert: Treasury’s move to ‘narrow’ BOI requirements would gut AML law
The U.S. Treasury’s effort to dramatically narrow the focus of the Corporate Transparency Act through “emergency” rulemaking would gut the law’s anti-money laundering efforts, a transparency expert said.
Experts: Companies ‘underestimate risk’ as first provisions of EU AI Act come into force
A European Union-wide ban on AI systems with “unacceptable” risk came into force on Feb. 2 as the first provisions of the EU’s AI Act took effect. Problems persist, however, over what the legislation requires and what corporate practices or uses of data may risk flouting the rules.
SEC postpones compliance date for amendments to investment company names rule
Investment companies will have six additional months to comply with an update to the Securities and Exchange Commission rule aimed at making investment fund names more accurate.
‘Abject failure’: U.K. lawmakers sound off on FCA’s failed 'naming and shaming' enforcement
U.K. lawmakers slammed the country’s chief financial regulator’s hopes of “naming and shaming” firms as part of its efforts to beef up enforcement, denting its credibility in the process and questioning the leadership of its chief executive.
Two senators want to know: What’s the legal basis for suspending enforcement of the CTA?
Two senators behind the Corporate Transparency Act have demanded that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent justify his suspension of one of the law’s anti-money laundering requirements.
Dismissal of CFPB’s Zelle case marks shift to ‘collective effort’ in consumer protection
The Trump administration isn’t slowing down its efforts to defang the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, with lawsuits dropped against a handful of big banks and financial services firms, most notably a case previously accusing payments app Zelle of failing to secure its network.
Judge to hear arguments for and against CFPB cuts before agency potentially ‘choked out of existence’
The future of the CFPB–and the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle it–hang in the balance as a federal judge pushed consideration of a request by a federal employees’ union to preserve the agency.
'Measured approach' or light-handed GPDR? Noyb reports only 1.3 percent of EU cases result in fine
When Europe’s strict set of data protection rules came into force nearly seven years ago, privacy campaigners, industry experts, and lawyers all warned that noncompliance could result in eye-watering fines and other costly sanctions, especially for repeated breaches. However, the reality appears to be very different.
As DOJ pivots away from white-collar enforcement, is FCPA still relevant?
While executives and boards will never conclude that bribery is a legitimate way of doing business, understandably many have questions about how to direct their FCPA compliance program efforts and resources, write Iris Bennett and Claire Rajan, partners at law firm Steptoe.
Treasury announces plan to narrow CTA's scope; FinCEN says no fines, penalties for failure to report BOI
The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network notified businesses that fail to report or update their beneficial ownership information before the agency’s March 21 deadline will not face fines or penalties. The agency further said it would not enforce the Corporate Transparency Act against U.S. citizens and domestic businesses.
CFTC first agency to describe self-reporting credit under Trump
The CFTC issued new guidance for firms seeking to self-report misconduct, accompanied by a “mitigation credit index” that details how “exemplary” cooperation and remediation can knock up to 55 percent off the final penalty. The agency is the first enforcement agency to issue self-reporting guidance under President Donald Trump.
U.K. competition and markets regulator wields new power to combat fake online reviews
Fake reviews of products and services are a global phenomenon, but regulators in the U.K. are beginning to use newly expanded powers to protect buyers and honest competitors following a recent crackdown by U.S. authorities.
Trump’s actions against CFPB will ‘significantly harm consumers,’ coalition of 23 AGs warn
Twenty-three attorneys general from across the country are warning that President Donald Trump’s efforts to defund and disband the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would “significantly harm consumers” and “reduce oversight of big banks.”
FinCEN issues new BOI compliance date, but experts say unlikely to hold
Uncertainty continues to swirl around a requirement that small businesses and foreign entities file beneficial ownership information with the U.S. Treasury Department.
DEI programs are under attack. Compliance should help plan what comes next
U.S. President Donald Trump has proven himself to be a chaos agent in the opening weeks of his second term, firing federal workers, shuttering agencies, and issuing executive orders that attempt to upend policies and laws he doesn’t like.
U.K. Employment Rights Bill promises to thwart forced labor through new consolidated regulator
For the past decade, the United Kingdom has tried to make companies more directly accountable for forced labor in their supply chains. But lawyers warn that the government’s latest plans to beef up protections against worker violations risk being heavily watered down and poorly policed by regulators.
Senate votes along party lines to confirm RFK Jr. as secretary of HHS
The U.S. Senate has approved Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, placing President Donald Trump’s controversial pick at the helm of a $1.7 trillion department in transition.
Trump has called for a six-month ban on FCPA enforcement. How should compliance respond?
With a six-month ban on enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, compliance should retreat from fear-based messaging and instead focus on why ethical practices make good business sense, experts say.
Apple bucks trend in Big Tech, defies anti-DEI headwinds
Apple, one of the most valuable tech giants on the planet, is pushing back against pressure to stop diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, saying that “a culture of belonging” remains a core value of the organization.
Lawsuits filed to save CFPB amid Trump push to shutter financial watchdog
Enforcement and all other operations at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have come to a screeching halt under Trump administration directives but a pair of lawsuits aimed at keeping the agency open mean the stoppage could be short-lived.