The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is exploring how consumers—particularly members of economically vulnerable and underserved communities—are using mobile technology to access financial services and manage personal finances. In a Request for Information announced earlier this week, the CFPB notes that a large percentage of unbanked and underbanked consumers, many of whom are low-income, have access to mobile phones, a significant number of which are smartphones, and that accessing financial products, services, and financial management tools via mobile devices has the potential to empower consumers to take more control over their financial lives, to increase savings and reduce debt.
Tag Archives: financial
European Data Protection Supervisor Releases “Inventory” of 2012 Priorities
On January 10, Peter Hustinx, the European Data Protection Supervisor, released his annual “Inventory” of issues of strategic importance for 2012, indicating that he would be focusing on, among other issues, the proposed EU data protection framework, IP rights versus privacy rights, cloud computing, and financial sector reform.
Financial Services Industry Group Issues Social Media Guidance
A financial services industry group recently released guidance on managing the risks associated with using social media such as Facebook and Twitter. The guidance, titled “Social Media Risks and Mitigation,” was released this week by BITS, a division of the Financial Services Roundtable, which represents 100 of the largest financial services companies. The guidance includes tips on managing numerous concerns specific to financial institutions, which are increasingly using social media in their marketing and customer relationship activities.
FDIC Requires Banks to Adopt Policies on Disposal of Information Stored on Office Equipment
On September 15th, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) issued guidance urging banks under its supervision to ensure that they have robust written policies and procedures for the erasure or destruction of sensitive or confidential information stored in office equipment.
UK Takes Step That Likely Will Result in Significantly Increased Penalties for Data Breaches
In a move that likely will result in a significant increase in civil penalties that can be assessed in the UK for data security breaches, this month the UK Ministry of Justice began consultation on the introduction of a maximum civil monetary penalty for serious breaches of the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA).