MyComplianceOffice Blog

Regulators around the globe are taking a firm stance against off-channel communications. In the US, the SEC recently charged 26 firms related to extensive record keeping failures, resulting in around US$390 million in penalties. In the UK, the FCA has issued comparatively smaller fines—though the regulator is now calling on banks to report staff breaches of encrypted messaging policies. The move reveals the FCA’s intent to gain a much deeper understanding of how apps like WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram are currently used within financial services.

Singapore’s Parliament has passed the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Other Matters Bill, a crucial step in enhancing the nation’s defences against financial crimes. The Bill, introduced by Singapore’s Second Minister for Home Affairs, Josephine Teo, is designed to strengthen the country’s anti-money laundering (AML) framework, ensuring it keeps pace with global standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Teo explains during her second reading of the Bill, “We have been distilling the learning points through careful studies of the changing modus operandi, as well as the new standards promulgated by FATF.”

It's been almost one year the Consumer Duty came into force, setting higher and clearer standards for consumer protection across the financial services industry. 31 July 2024 will be a milestone date, marking not just the anniversary of the Duty but also implementation for closed products and the first Board Report due date.

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has undergone several initiatives over the last few years to make its standards and guidance simpler, clearer, and more adaptable.

In a culmination of these efforts, APRA has now launched its digital framework, taking shape as its digital “Prudential Handbook”.

The Financial Institutions (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, or FIMA Bill, aims to enhance the abilities of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to enforce its regulatory regime and supervise capital markets Financial Institutions (FIs).