Wall St traders ordered to keep work WhatsApp messages on record
JP Morgan has asked US staff to fish out years-old text messages related to work in order to comply with strict regulatory procedures.
A note sent to staff has asked employees to dig out and archive work-related messages all the way back to 2018, even when saved on personal phones, reported Bloomberg today.
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The pandemic has seen many traditional working practices up-ended, with formal conversations in office settings replaced by video calls, WhatsApp messages and Slack channels.
But that could present a problem for financial institutions which are obliged to keep records of transactions, interactions and internal communication on file lest regulators come knocking.
The note to staff said there could be “consequences” for staff who failed to comply with the diktat, according to the report.
In the UK, a number of firms have faced issues around data security, with employees using unprotected laptops and phones as opposed to the heavily-firewalled systems they may have used in office settings.
Data privacy law further complicates matters for those working from home.
JP Morgan in the US declined to comment to Bloomberg.
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