European Commission accuses Meta of anticompetive practices, issues $841M fine
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has been fined nearly 798 million euros (U.S. $841 million) by the European Commission to resolve the agency’s long-running investigation into alleged “abusive practices” by Facebook Marketplace.
EU Deforestation Directive delayed, experts advise compliance managers to not rest on laurels
If your business uses leather, rubber, wood, beef, palm oil, soy, or paper, then you may need to comply with the EU Deforestation Directive, a new rule intended to ensure that no goods traded in the EU contribute to global deforestation.
Allegion names general counsel
Global security products and solutions provider Allegion reappointed Jeff Braun as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary.
Meta discloses potential CFPB lawsuit following probe into advertising, disclosure practices
Meta disclosed in a public filing that an investigation by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau related to financial product advertising on platforms Instagram and WhatsApp may lead to a lawsuit.
Meta-backed EU appeals body facing conflicts of interest concerns
Ireland’s cozy relationship with big business and Big Tech has once again come under scrutiny after the country’s media regulator allowed a $15 million one-off funding payment from Meta’s Oversight Board Trust to help launch the newly formed Appeal Centre Europe.
U.K. Employment Rights Bill triggers debate over flexibility vs. exploitation
Contract workers’ rights are in the spotlight in the U.K. and some EU countries as governments seek to end exploitative practices by eliminating zero-hours contracts, much to the chagrin of some business leaders.
Irish DPC fines LinkedIn $335M over GDPR violations related to targeted advertising
The Irish Data Protection Commission fined Microsoft-owned LinkedIn 310 million euros (U.S. $335 million) over violations of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation related to the social media company’s data processing and targeted advertising.
AI & Compliance Summit: Regs discuss artificial intelligence guardrails for financial services
Artificial intelligence is an exciting, new technology and it is well-regulated by old laws and rules already on the books, financial regulators said at Compliance Week’s AI & Compliance Summit at Boston University.
EU businesses will soon have to report on supply chains and sustainability. Not all are ready
Supply chains are about to become the next big thing in sustainability compliance. However, many organizations still lack the data and assurance capabilities to track sustainability and human rights activities across their extended supply chains – which is required by the EU’s CS3D. Many others that fall out of scope ...
Pace of innovation will make EU AI Act hard to enforce, experts say
Concerns about how robustly European member states may enforce the EU AI Act, which took effect on Aug. 1, are divided between if regulators will take a “light touch” approach or a sledgehammer for noncompliance. One thing’s for sure, the pace of AI innovation will make enforcement very difficult.
Photo gallery: Compliance Week Europe 2024
Compliance Week Europe, held Oct. 15-16 in Amsterdam in partnership with our sister organization the Internation Compliance Association, gathered more than 200 GRC professionals across industries. Check out some of the sights from the event.
Control and delete: How regulators can shutdown companies’ AI investments
Companies are increasingly putting their faith in AI to realize the kind of business benefits that the technology seems to promise, but they are also opening themselves up to new and potentially crippling sanctions if they are unable to answer questions that surround how AI operates.
AI & Compliance Summit notebook: ‘Think big. Start small. Scale fast.’
When starting artificial intelligence efforts for companies large or small, one approach compliance practitioners said they’ve found works best is to start with a specific use case.
Companies are slowing AI launches in Europe, some say European Union regulations are why
The European Union’s Digital Markets Act is forcing many Big Tech companies to postpone the launch of artificial intelligence-powered features, like Apple Intelligence, over user privacy and data security concerns.
Oculis announces chief legal officer
Biopharmaceutical company Oculis Holding AG announced the appointment of Daniel Char to the role of chief legal officer.
New U.K. enforcement body piles pressure on sanctions evaders
Global sanctions rules are increasing rapidly, as are tools to detect and punish those who break them. In response, the U.K. government is creating a new Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation to investigate and penalize those who break sanctions rules.
Irish DPC fines Meta $102M over GDPR violation linked to improper storage of passwords
The Irish Data Protection Commission fined Meta Ireland 91 million euros (U.S. $102 million) for multiple violations of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation related to the inadvertent storage of user passwords without encryption.
AI misuse could lead to sanctions from multiple regulators, experts warn
The proliferation of AI, as well as the promised business cases promoting its use, has led companies around the world to quickly invest in the technology. Executives hope these AI tools will improve efficiencies, reduce costs, and help them stay competitive. But it could lead to just the opposite.
Technip Energies announces sustainability chief
Engineering and technology company Technip Energies announced the appointment of Benjamin Lechuga as chief strategy & sustainability officer and member of the group executive committee.
Prilenia appoints chief legal officer
Biotechnology company Prilenia Therapeutics B.V. announced the appointment of Jason Marks, J.D. as chief legal officer.
ABN AMRO names risk chief
ABN AMRO Bank announced that Serena Fioravanti was appointed as a member of the executive board of ABN AMRO Bank N.V. and chief risk officer, effective Oct. 1.
Louvre Hotels Group adds GC
Louvre Hotels Group announced that Grégoire Bouffard will join the executive committee as general counsel, effective Oct. 1.
AAR Corp. discloses former exec implicated in Nepal, South Africa FCPA violations
Aviation maintenance services provider AAR Corp. disclosed that several former employees may have bribed officials in Nepal and South Africa to win contracts, and chose to self-report violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act to authorities in the U.S. and U.K.
Barclays is axing its bonus caps. Is it also ditching good governance?
Four years post-Brexit, London-based Barclays became the first British bank to scrap bonus caps for its traders that were meant to curb excessive risk-taking with client cash, improve corporate governance, and restore faith in an industry most working people still hold responsible for 15 years of economic misery.
FTC sounds alarm on business practices turning into ‘vast surveillance’
The Federal Trade Commission took aim at the business models of some of the world’s largest companies, publishing a years-long study that decried technologies that have created “vast surveillance” networks that expose people to “a host of harms” and violate children’s privacy laws.
WS Audiology announces legal chief, GC
WS Audiology announced that Hea Vinskov has been appointed chief legal officer and general counsel, effective Oct. 21.
ALFI appoints general counsel
The Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry announced the appointment of Corinne Lamesch as deputy CEO and general counsel.
Amcor announces first sustainability chief
Packaging solutions firm Amcor announced that David Clark, previously its vice president, sustainability, has been appointed to the new chief sustainability officer role.
Budweiser Budvar registration failures show ESG impacts of U.K. noncompliance
Most businesses think more about their products than what they come wrapped in, but a recent U.K. penalty against Czech brewery Budweiser Budvar indicates packaging is an increasingly important element in sustainability regulations.
Holcim announces group general counsel
Holcim, which manufactures building materials, announced that Lukas Studer, general counsel corporate and M&A, is appointed group general counsel, effective Nov. 1.
Perrigo appoints general counsel
Self-care products provider Perrigo Company announced the appointment of Charles Atkinson as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary.
Tuum appoints compliance, risk head
Core banking platform provider Tuum announced the appointment of Stephen Frame as its new head of compliance and risk.
Clearview AI’s GDPR fines rise to $110M total after latest penalty by Dutch DPA
Clearview AI was fined 30.5 million euro (U.S. $33.8 million) by the Dutch Data Protection Authority and ordered to stop collecting images of Dutch citizens in the latest enforcement action against the U.S. company.
Raytheon parent to pay $200M in fines, remediation over export control violations
RTX Corp., the parent company of Raytheon, agreed to pay $200 million in fines and remediation to address hundreds of export control violations that led to the disclosure of sensitive military secrets.
Alisa Bank announces general counsel
Alisa Bank appointed Katja Vähäsilta as general counsel and member of the management team, effective Oct. 1.
Ian Sherr joins Compliance Week as its new editor-in-chief
New Compliance Week Editor-In-Chief Ian Sherr shares his thoughts on where compliance is headed as businesses meet the realities of not just following the rules, but staying ahead of the pace of regulatory change at a global scale.
BCG avoids criminal prosecution for FCPA violations related to bribes in Angola
The Department of Justice declined to prosecute Boston Consulting Group for allegedly bribing Angolan officials in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, citing the firm’s prompt self-disclosure and timely remediation.
NN Group names new CRO
International financial services company NN Group announced that Wilbert Ouburg will be appointed chief risk officer and member of the management board, effective Oct. 1.
N26 promotes risk head to chief regulatory officer
Digital bank N26 announced that Chief Risk Officer Carina Kozole has been named as its chief regulatory officer.
Helvetia Insurance appoints group risk chief
Helvetia Insurance announced the appointment of Bernhard Kaufmann as group chief risk officer, effective Nov. 1.
Pham cries CFTC overreach against compliance officer in $48M fine of TOTSA
The Commodities Futures Trading Commission fined TOTSA TotalEnergies Trading $48 million for allegedly engaging in price manipulation, with Commissioner Carolyn Pham defending a compliance officer at the Swiss energy company accused of making false statements.
Nordea Bank to pay $35M to resolve NYDFS probe into AML shortcomings
Finland-based Nordea Bank will pay $35 million to resolve an investigation by the New York Department of Financial Services into “significant compliance failures” in its anti-money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act program.
Dutch DPA fines Uber $324M over transferring driver data to U.S.
The Dutch Data Protection Authority fined Uber 290 million euros (U.S. $323.7 million) for illegally transferring data on European drivers to American servers and failing to appropriately safeguard the transfers.
CFTC, ICE Futures fine Brazil-based Raizen Energia $850K over wash trading
Brazilian energy and sugar company Raizen Energia SA and its Swiss trading subsidiary will pay $850,000 in fines to settle charges that they engaged in illegal noncompetitive transactions.
Cepsa names chief legal officer
Petroleum business company Cepsa appointed Virginia Beltramini as the new director of the company’s legal counsel and assurance area and secretary of the board of directors, effective Sep. 16.
Spanish DPA dings retailer Uniqlo $294K over GDPR violations
Spain’s data protection authority fined retailer Uniqlo Europe 270,000 euros (U.S. $294,000) over admitted violations of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation.
FCA fines Cyprus trading company $355K for unfair customer treatment
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority fined a Cyprus-based trading company more than 276,000 pounds (U.S. $354,000) for unfair customer treatment and providing unauthorized investment advice.
PayU GPO announces risk chief
PayU GPO announced the appointment of Simona Covaliu as chief risk officer.
Many dating apps a matchmaker for cybercriminals, study finds
Location-based dating apps are not doing enough to protect user privacy, with exact location and other personal data being exploited by stalkers and bad actors, a recent analysis found.
DORA set to enhance cyber resilience requirements for EU financial firms
The European Union’s Digital Operational Resilience Act, which is set to take effect next year, will require financial services firms to implement stronger measures to protect not only themselves from disruption caused by cyberattacks but also the sector as a whole.