EU due diligence directive back on track, despite concession concerns
The future of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive was thrown into doubt when the European Council failed to endorse proposals. The directive is back on track after being agreed upon, albeit in weaker form.
Policy changes underscore need for enhanced child labor due diligence
Rooting out potential child or forced labor violations in your company’s supply chain can have benefits beyond protecting reputation and being ethically sound. The process can also help your firm comply with pending child labor laws in other jurisdictions.
The auditor’s role in supply chain due diligence
Although compliance should be the company’s primary responsibility, auditors have become the last line of defense and are getting pressured and blamed for supply chain issues, including instances of child labor. Is this expected to become the normal for the profession?
Study: Climate transition impact reporting still lacking
Large polluters are failing to account for climate change impact and adaptation, but policymakers need to harmonize disclosure requirements to drive coherent action.
U.S. banking regs mulling enhanced operational resiliency frameworks
Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu said federal banking agencies are considering enhancements to their operational resiliency requirements for member banks.
DOL seeking more authority in crackdown on child labor violations
The Department of Labor has stepped up its enforcement of child labor law amid a concerning rise in child labor exploitation, yet the agency acknowledges its resources are not great enough to be a significant deterrent for such misconduct.
FTC restores bipartisan balance with Ferguson, Holyoak confirmations
The appointments of two new commissioners on the Federal Trade Commission were confirmed, with the Democratic-led agency welcoming Republicans Andrew Ferguson and Melissa Holyoak.
New Zealand banks to report material cyber incidents within 72 hours
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand added new reporting requirements for its member banks to follow if they suffer a material cyber incident and for all types of cyberattacks.
SFO director support for whistleblower incentives enough to drive change?
When Nick Ephgrave of the Serious Fraud Office said in his maiden speech he favored paying whistleblowers in exchange for information, he might not have been fully aware of the implications, according to legal experts.
DOJ eyeing more FCPA cases with whistleblower program
The Department of Justice anticipates its upcoming whistleblower reward program will help the agency increase its pipeline of cases involving apparent violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri.
EU to ban sale of products made with forced labor
The European Union announced an agreement to ban products made with forced labor, a decision that will oblige organizations to track and declare more information about their supply chains for goods entering EU markets.
DOJ on sprint toward pilot whistleblower reward program
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said the Department of Justice will look to fill gaps in its whistleblower procedures with the launch of a 90-day sprint toward a DOJ-led pilot whistleblower reward program.
SEC expands scope of order execution disclosure rule
Lost in the shuffle of the approval of its controversial climate-related disclosure rule, the Securities and Exchange Commission also adopted amendments to its rule for order executions in national market system stocks.
Monaco: ECCP update coming for management of AI risks
The Department of Justice is working on an update to its Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs guidance to spell out the responsibilities of compliance staff for managing artificial intelligence-related risks.
Concessions can’t save ‘cursed’ SEC climate disclosure rule from scrutiny
The Securities and Exchange Commission finally approved its ground-breaking climate-related disclosure rule, nearly two years since it was originally proposed. Though the agency significantly watered down aspects of its proposal, the rule is already facing the prospect of legal challenge.
Top brands shamed for U.K. minimum wage failings ahead of hike
The U.K.’s Department for Business and Trade named 524 businesses found to have failed to pay the national minimum wage, ahead of wage hikes for certain workers that will take effect April 1.
Experts: What to expect ahead of SEC climate-related disclosure rule vote
Nearly two years after it was first proposed, the Securities and Exchange Commission is finally poised to approve its climate-related disclosure rule—albeit a watered-down version, by all indications.
FCA warns CEOs over firm AML failings
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority warned the chief executive officers of approximately 1,000 financial institutions it supervises regarding common failures in anti-money laundering procedures it observed during recent assessments.
Judge’s ruling calls FinCEN beneficial ownership registry into question
A federal court judge in Alabama ruled the Corporate Transparency Act was beyond Congress’s power, potentially throwing the effectiveness of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network beneficial ownership information registry into doubt.
Biden executive order to target commercial data broker activities
A new executive order seeks to put clamps on the sale of Americans’ personal data by data brokers and other companies to certain countries found to be of national security concern.
FCA vows transparency, faster case outcomes in new enforcement strategy
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority will rein in its enforcement focus and commit to providing more updates on its ongoing investigations as part of a revamped strategy designed to quicken the pace and increase the deterrent impact of its cases.
FCA calls attention to continued trade manipulation tactics
Financial firms continue to flout rules designed to protect investors from being misled about the true value of financial products, according to a recent bulletin from the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority.
New European AML agency to be based in Germany
The European Union’s recently approved Anti-Money Laundering Authority will be based in Frankfurt, Germany, and begin operations in 2025.
CFPB exercises power to supervise installment lender World Acceptance
Installment lender World Acceptance Corp. was the subject of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s first use of a dormant legal provision allowing it to establish supervisory authority over more nonbank financial companies.
March 28 | Rapid expansion of global forced labor regulations
Join us as we dive into the best practices for performing due diligence across your entire supply chain—from the sourcing of raw materials to the delivery of finished goods—to become (and stay) compliant with this ever-evolving landscape.
CW National 2024 preview: Diana Kelley on AI implications for compliance
Artificial intelligence expert Diana Kelley will discuss what AI means for organizations and explore the technology’s implications for compliance and enterprise risk as part of a keynote address at Compliance Week’s National Conference in Washington, D.C.
DOJ appoints first chief AI officer
On the heels of a warning by the deputy attorney general that the agency will seek stiffer penalties in cases involving the misuse of artificial intelligence, the Department of Justice announced Jonathan Mayer as its first chief AI officer.
Fed upping supervisory pressure as SVB collapse nears 1-year mark
Since the failure of Silicon Valley Bank nearly one year ago, the Federal Reserve Board has revamped its supervisory procedures to respond more quickly and forcefully once it identifies emerging risks at mid-sized and large banks, according to the agency’s vice chair for supervision.
Public consultation on GDPR opens door for changes
Feedback from a European Commission consultation on the six years of enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation could result in tweaks to the rules and potential changes to the way data protection authorities enforce them.
Virtual Roundtable: What to make of new DOJ corporate enforcement priorities
Compliance Week is hosting a virtual roundtable during which experts will break down recent policy changes at the Department of Justice and what they mean for corporate compliance programs.
Q&A: ManpowerGroup compliance director on CSRD prep efforts
James Levey, compliance director at global recruitment agency ManpowerGroup, discusses with Compliance Week his focus on preparing the group’s European operations to gather the data required for compliance with the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.
FinCEN head: Agency seeking to educate, not punish, BOI reporters
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network will focus its attention regarding compliance with its new beneficial ownership reporting requirements on education and outreach during the first year of implementation, although “willful violations” will still merit punishment.
U.K. governance code revisions: Boards lead on culture, audit supports
Corporate culture, internal controls, and assurance moved up the boardroom agenda with the publication of the U.K.’s revised corporate governance code and its supporting guidance.
FinCEN to propose applying BSA requirements to investment advisers
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network will propose categorizing investment advisers as financial institutions that must comply with the Bank Secrecy Act, including having an anti-money laundering program.
Experts: SCOTUS ruling shifts onus to employers in whistleblower cases
The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision to reaffirm whistleblower protections under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a case involving UBS has wide ramifications in many other industries beyond financial services, according to legal experts.
SCOTUS reaffirms whistleblower protections in ruling against UBS
The Supreme Court reaffirmed whistleblower protections guaranteed under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a unanimous decision expected to set a precedent that impacts all corporate internal reporting cases.
The blurred lines of employee monitoring under GDPR
The French data regulator’s fine against an Amazon warehouse manager for violating employees’ rights to privacy in the workplace once again raises questions about what constitutes an overzealous approach to employee monitoring and why companies fail to recognize the signs.
SEC, CFTC adopt rule for enhanced large hedge fund disclosures
Large hedge fund advisers will be required to disclose more information on their investment strategies, investment exposure, operations, and more as part of a rule change jointly adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Anti-fraud groups praise FinCEN AML proposal for real estate transactions
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that would require the handlers of all-cash residential real estate transactions in all U.S. cities and counties to disclose the beneficial owners.
Compliance with growing number of U.S. privacy laws ‘a matter of culture change’
Different deadlines associated with the 13 U.S. state privacy laws currently on the books, including grace periods and enforcement dates, have proven challenging for compliance, experts discussed at CW’s Cyber Risk & Data Privacy Summit.
Experts: Good data breach response grounded in preparation
Two chief compliance officers and an attorney discussed preparation for the “when, not if” threat of a data breach during a panel at CW’s Cyber Risk & Data Privacy Summit.
Q&A: LKQ sustainability VP on importance of environmental data
Richard Brasher, vice-president of sustainability at multinational automotive parts company LKQ Corp., discusses with Compliance Week his view on the added attention sustainability initiatives are receiving and where improvement remains.
Meta’s ‘pay or consent’ model to force GDPR to adapt?
Experts weigh in on Meta’s plans to charge EU users monthly if they do not want to be tracked for online advertising and what the ramifications of the model would mean for the future of the General Data Protection Regulation.
Business groups sue to halt California climate disclosure laws
A coalition of business groups filed a lawsuit opposing two California laws that require large businesses to make climate-related disclosures, calling it a fight against illegal and excessive government overreach.
OCC proposes stricter review process for bank mergers
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency proposed eliminating expedited or streamlined reviews of mergers for national banks and federal savings associations.
Consultation opens debate on proposed U.K. cyber governance code
Cybercrime is regularly cited as a leading concern for executives, yet board oversight of cyber risks is often inadequate and governance poorly understood, according to the authors of a proposed U.K. code of practice on cybersecurity governance.
DOJ, FTC re-emphasize requirement to retain business communications
The Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission updated language contained in standard preservation letters regarding the maintaining of business communications made via collaboration tools and ephemeral messaging apps.
CFTC seeking comment on applications of AI in compliance
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission would like to learn more about how regulated entities might be using artificial intelligence in their compliance efforts, along with other applications.
FINMA eyeing more power over banks. Will it make a difference?
Bonus clawbacks, more fines, and a senior management regime that clearly identifies individual executives’ responsibilities for key governance areas are all options being considered by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority in response to the collapse of Credit Suisse.
ICO seeking input on generative AI to inform guidance
The U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office is seeking input from developers, users, and those interested in generative artificial intelligence to help inform policy and guidance regarding the technology.