Following 'WhatsApp' Crackdown On Banks, Asset Managers Are On High Alert: Reuters

In an effort to guarantee that staff members follow the rules when conducting business with clients remotely, asset managers are joining banks in tightening controls on personal communication apps like WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms Inc META, reported Reuters.
Regulators had previously started to crack down on using unauthorized messaging services to discuss potentially market-moving issues, but the issue gathered urgency during the pandemic.
Banks have constituted the majority of the companies investigated by the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for communications and record-keeping violations.
Following in the footsteps of numerous other banks, including Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, and Credit Suisse, German asset manager DWS announced last month that it had set aside 12 million euros ($12 million) to cover potential U.S. fines related to investigations into the use of unapproved devices by its employees and record-keeping requirements, writes Reuters.
According to sources, a number of other investment companies have implemented tools to ensure that all interactions between employees and clients are compliant.
According to Brad Levy, CEO of business messaging software provider Symphony, concerns about managing that risk have sparked an increase in interest in software updates that enable the recording of conversations on well-known messaging apps like Meta Platforms' WhatsApp.