Financial Regulators Issue Final Guidance on Social Media

The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), on behalf of its members, today released final guidance on the applicability of consumer protection and compliance laws, regulations, and policies to activities conducted via social media by banks, savings associations, and credit unions, as well as nonbank entities supervised by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The guidance is effective immediately.

The guidance does not impose any new requirements on financial institutions. Rather, it is intended to help financial institutions understand potential consumer compliance and legal risks, as well as related risks such as reputation and operational risks, associated with the use of social media, along with expectations for managing those risks. The guidance provides considerations that financial institutions may find useful in conducting risk assessments and crafting and evaluating policies and procedures regarding social media.

The FFIEC published the guidance in proposed form in January 2013 and invited public comments through March 25, 2013. The agencies received 81 comments through that process and took those comments into account in making certain revisions to the guidance.

The guidance is attached.

Attachment (PDF)

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