Compliance & Ethics

The global anti–money laundering community saw another shift this fall as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) updated its lists of jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies. FinCEN, which acts as the United States’ financial intelligence unit, issued a notice on Friday advising U.S. financial institutions to take these changes into account as they review their risk-based controls and international relationships.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is taking stock of a busy year in enforcement, releasing its nineteenth Annual Report on Enforcement with a clearer picture of how the agency spent FY2025 policing the country’s natural gas and electricity markets.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission and 30 state securities regulators have secured more than $51 million in sanctions and restitution in a long-running precious metals fraud case that targeted older investors across the country.

A Spanish court has ordered Meta to pay €479 million (roughly $552 million) to Spanish digital media outlets after finding the company unlawfully leveraged user data to gain a competitive edge in the country’s online advertising market, a development first reported by Reuters. The ruling, issued by Madrid’s Commercial Court, directs compensation to 87 digital publishers and news agencies and centers on Meta’s use of personal data for behavioral advertising on Facebook and Instagram.

The Federal Reserve is reorienting its supervisory approach in a move that Acting Director Mary Aiken and Acting Deputy Director Julie Williams describe as a “significant shift” from past practice. In a memo issued October 29, the leaders of the Division of Supervision and Regulation instructed staff across the Federal Reserve System to align their work with Vice Chair for Supervision Miki Bowman’s updated priorities, an approach that places earlier intervention, clearer communication, and a sharper focus on material financial risks at the center of bank oversight.

The European Commission has presented a package of digital measures intended to reduce administrative burdens and support business growth across the EU. The initiative is designed to help companies focus more on innovation while maintaining the bloc’s standards for fundamental rights, data protection, safety, and fairness.

Optus Mobile has paid a penalty of about $537,000 (AUD $826,320) after Australia’s communications regulator found the company failed to follow required anti-scam rules, leaving several customers vulnerable to financial losses and identity theft.