This week, the SEC quietly rolled out its first iPhone app. The app is very basic, but for an agency that has often lagged behind in the social media world, it is a step in the right direction. You can find it by searching for "securities exchange commission" at the App Store or by visiting this link on your iPhone.

The app has four tabs. The first, and most useful in my opinion, is the News tab. At the News tab, users can access a regularly updated feed of the SEC press releases, i.e., the press releases you can find on the SEC's website at this page. Here is what the app and specifically the News tab looks like:

Other tabs include Video, Events and Contact Us:

Video: Provides links to select videos on the SEC's YouTube page. Most of these videos are from various open meetings of the Commission.

Events: Provides a schedule and links to upcoming events, which are also listed on this page of the SEC's website. Events include open meetings of the Commission and public appearances of senior SEC officials.

Contact Us: Offers a quick way to send an email to the SEC's Office of Public Affairs.

The SEC told me that the new app remains a work-in-progress, and that other tabs may be added in the future. I think a tab with Litigation Releases would be useful in the future. Another idea would be to have a Whistleblower tab--when you see securities fraud, simply blow the whistle with your iPhone!

What else should be on the SEC iPhone app? Please leave your thoughts in the comments, and perhaps they will materialize in SEC iPhone 2.0.

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