HSBC was caught in a crossfire with U.S. regulators involving its employees' use of communication channels like WhatsApp not long ago.
Now, the British lender is reportedly planning to ban text messaging across the bank on company-issued devices, sources told Bloomberg. Personal devices won’t be impacted by the policy and a select few employees who have regulated roles in the firm will still be able to send and receive messages, the outlet reported.
The move comes just months after HSBC had to pay $75 million to settle a case with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission—$30 million of what was towards settling a probe on the use of unauthorized communication channels including WhatsApp. The British bank also had to pay a $15 million fine to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in May for the unauthorized use of WhatsApp and other record-keeping violations.
The misuse was seen among top staff at HSBC as they used unapproved means of communications on personal devices, which are typically not monitored. This could result in the breach of regulatory rules on recording all business communications, leaving little room for oversight by authorities to take action in case of compliance concerns.
WhatsApp has been banned from staffs’ work phones at HSBC, people with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg. A possible ban on SMS messaging via office-issued phones means a further crackdown on unauthorized communication channels to comply with regulatory standards.
“Banks use a wide range of approved channels to communicate in compliance with regulatory obligations,” a spokesperson for the bank told Bloomberg. “HSBC, like many other banks, reviews and adjusts functionality on its corporate devices as needed.”
Not the only one
To be sure, a slew of banks have come under fire for their lax record-keeping practices.
J.P. Morgan Securities was fined $200 million in 2021 for failing to keep track of business-related communications on employees’ personal devices. Sixteen Wall Street giants including UBS and Barclays were collectively fined $1.8 billion by the SEC last September for employees’ use of personal devices and unauthorized apps for communication regarding business transactions. And earlier this year, Bank of Nova Scotia paid $22.5 million to settle SEC and CFTC charges on similar grounds.
As the use of private messaging platforms has proliferated in the business world, regulatory scrutiny over their use has intensified in recent times and spread beyond Wall Street. Private equity firms including Carlyle Group and Blackstone are also being investigated for discussing business matters on apps like WhatsApp and Signal.
Reports suggest that a number of banks globally have suspended the use of encrypted apps like WhatsApp for work purposes following probes into its violation of regulatory rules. HSBC has not confirmed such a ban and didn't return Fortune's request for comment on the matter.
