Author: Sean Lyons

Is AI a ticking time bomb?

Anticipating a Scandal: Is AI a Ticking Time Bomb for Companies?

In recent times it seems that a corporate scandal is now an everyday occurrence and something which is far too frequent. The causes of a corporate scandal are also far too predictable: failures in corporate governance, poor risk management, compliance failures, unreliable intelligence, inadequate security, insufficient resilience, ineffective controls, and Read More

Whistleblower

J.P. Morgan Fined for Violating Whistleblower Protection Rules

The Securities and Exchange Commission settled charges against J.P. Morgan Securities (JPMS) for impeding hundreds of advisory clients and brokerage customers from reporting potential securities law violations to the SEC. JPMS agreed to pay an $18 million civil penalty to settle the charges. According to the SEC’s order, from March Read More

Bitcoin image

SEC Approves Bitcoin ETFs, Clearing Way for Public Trading

The Securities and Exchange Commission has voted to approve the listing and trading of bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), opening the door to several new publicly traded funds that track various cryptocurrencies. The SEC’s decision will make bitcoin investing more accessible to investors, without requiring them to own the digital asset Read More

Health care compliance

Tampa Cancer Center to Pay $19 Million to Settle False Claims Violations

A non-profit cancer treatment center based in Tampa, Florida has agreed to a settlement with the Department of Justice to resolve charges of False Claims Act violations. The violations result from improper claims submitted to federal healthcare programs for patient care services that were not eligible for reimbursement. The DoJ Read More

Bribery image

New Law Targets Foreign Officials Who Seek Bribes

Last month, President Biden signed the annual defense spending bill for 2024, otherwise known as National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), into law. Contained in the NDAA is a provision titled the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA), which for the first time makes it a crime for foreign officials or other Read More

NYT Sues Microsoft and OpenAI for Copyright Infringement

The New York Times Co. filed a lawsuit against two of the largest artificial intelligence companies, Microsoft and OpenAI, for copyright infringement. In its complaint, the Times said that Microsoft and OpenAI illegally copied and used millions of its articles to inform and enhance each company’s AI models including OpenAI’s Read More

Guidance on Climate Change risks

NYDFS Issues Guidance for Banks on Navigating Climate-Related Risks

The New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) has issued guidance on managing the financial and operational risks associated with climate change. The guidance applies to New York regulated banks, mortgage bankers, and mortgage servicers, as well as branches and agencies of foreign banks licensed in New York. It Read More

Children using technology covered under COPPA

FTC Proposes Significant Changes to Online Protection Rules for Children

The Federal Trade Commission has proposed changes to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) that would place new restrictions on the use and disclosure of children’s personal information and limit companies from profiting from children’s data. With these proposed changes, the FTC intends for the Act to reflect technological Read More

Rite aid used facial recognition at stores

FTC Bans Rite Aid from Using Facial Recognition for Five Years

The Federal Trade Commission has prohibited Rite Aid from using facial recognition technology for surveillance purposes for five years as part of a settlement of charges that the retailer used the technology improperly. The FTC had accused Rite Aid of failing to implement reasonable procedures and prevent harm to consumers Read More

BlackRock Logo

BlackRock Under Fire for Conflicting ESG Statements to Investors

BlackRock, one of world’s largest asset managers, is facing charges of misrepresenting its ESG efforts to customers. This week, the state of Tennessee filed a consumer protection lawsuit  accusing the firm of making inconsistent statements in regard to its ESG investment strategy. The state’s complaint seeks to charge the investment Read More