Investment Banking

HSBC fined $45m for WhatsApp monitoring failures

Large investment banks have now been fined a total of $2bn for failing to monitor employee communications

HSBC is the latest big bank to be caught in a crackdown by US regulators
HSBC is the latest big bank to be caught in a crackdown by US regulators Photo: In Pictures via Getty Images

HSBC has been fined $45m by US regulators for "widespread" failures over its employees' use of electronic communication tools, the latest bank to be drawn into a crackdown on messaging platforms like WhatsApp.

The Securities and Exchange Commission said that it has fined the UK lender for its failure to track employees' communications on business matters on personal mobile devices. The regulator also charged Scotia Capital, the investment banking arm of the Bank of Nova Scotia, $7.5m for the same violations.

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