All posts tagged: regulator

Hong Kong securities regulator warns licensed firms of AI-driven cyber threats

Hong Kong securities regulator warns licensed firms of AI-driven cyber threats

Published by Sam Flores

June 2 : Hong Kong’s securities regulator on Tuesday urged licensed firms to bolster their cybersecurity defenses, warning of a surge in increasingly advanced and targeted AI-driven cyber threats. • In a circular, the Securities and Futures Commission said licensed firms, specifically internet brokers and virtual asset-trading platforms, should adopt up-to-date safeguards to prevent unauthorised access to client data and guard against asset misappropriation. • Incidents of cyberattack increased 27 per cent to 15,877 in 2025 from 12,536 in 2024, the body said, referring to data from the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre. • The regulator said AI was enabling malicious actors to identify and exploit vulnerabilities faster and launch large-scale attacks, while lowering barriers to phishing and social engineering. • The SFC also identified areas where companies can strengthen cybersecurity, including patching and vulnerability management, detection and monitoring, and incident response and recovery. • Eric Yip, the SFC’s executive director of intermediaries, said senior management at licensed firms should take primary responsibility for cyber resilience and protecting client assets. • Recently, …

U.S. regulator moves to withdraw million penalty against Winklevoss’ crypto exchange

U.S. regulator moves to withdraw $5 million penalty against Winklevoss’ crypto exchange

Published by Sam Flores

Gemini Co-founders Tyler Winklevoss and Cameron Winklevoss attend the company’s IPO at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York City, U.S., Sept. 12, 2025. Jeenah Moon | Reuters The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission asked a judge on Wednesday to vacate the agency’s $5 million penalty against a cryptocurrency exchange founded by twin brothers who donated to President Donald Trump’s election campaign in 2024. The CFTC said regulators should never have accused Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss’ Gemini Trust Company of making false statements in connection with its bitcoin futures business. Gemini settled the CFTC charges in January 2025 during the final weeks of President Joe Biden’s administration, paying a $5 million penalty and agreeing to an injunction that would prevent the company from making any false or misleading statements to the CFTC. But Gemini and the CFTC have now agreed that the settlement should be vacated, citing the CFTC’s changed policy on crypto enforcement under Trump. The Winklevoss brothers each donated $1 million in bitcoin to his election campaign in 2024. The CFTC and Gemini said in jointly filed court papers that the settlement should be rescinded and the CFTC had “resorted to inappropriate tactics” to bring a lawsuit and “extract …

UK gambling regulator targets illegal betting and noncompliant machines with new bingo rules

UK gambling regulator targets illegal betting and noncompliant machines with new bingo rules

Published by skeptic

Britain’s gambling regulator says bingo venues and other land-based operators will face stricter oversight as officials move to remove non-compliant gaming machines more quickly and expand action against illegal betting businesses. Speaking at the Bingo Association’s annual meeting, acting Gambling Commission chief executive Sarah Gardner said the regulator wanted closer cooperation with compliant operators while also increasing enforcement powers across the sector. “We know what we can achieve through our powers, but we know that we can achieve a whole lot more for our objectives by working with those in industry who are willing to work with us,” Gardner said in the speech. The social nature of bingo is clearly identified as being a significant draw for in person bingo – something that whilst may make sense to everyone in this room – is now part of our official statistics. Working together, rather than retreating to the entrenchments, means we can build a shared understanding instead of creating mistrust. We can look to make progress instead of holding each other back. The commission confirmed that …

Entain presses football regulator over illegal gambling sponsorships at Premier League clubs

Entain presses football regulator over illegal gambling sponsorships at Premier League clubs

Published by skeptic

Entain is calling on England’s new soccer watchdog to intervene against Premier League clubs taking sponsorship money from gambling operators that are not licensed in Britain. The move increases pressure on clubs already facing scrutiny over the sport’s relationship with the growing black market betting industry. The owner of Ladbrokes and Coral said the Independent Football Regulator, known as the IFR, already has the power to stop those arrangements under proposed licensing rules. Those draft rules would prevent clubs from accepting revenue tied to “serious criminal conduct,” which Entain argues includes gambling companies illegally taking bets from British customers. Premier League clubs are being sponsored by criminal gambling firms. The Independent Football Regulator can stop this tomorrow by simply acknowledging that unlicensed gambling companies targeting UK customers through English football are breaking the law – plain and simple. Stella David, Entain plc CEO The company made the case in its response to the IFR’s latest consultation covering licensing rules for clubs across the top five tiers of English men’s soccer. The regulator was created to …

Brazil Regulator Approves Deeper Probe Into Google’s News Content Use

Brazil Regulator Approves Deeper Probe Into Google’s News Content Use

Published by Sam Flores

SAO PAULO, April 23 (Reuters) – Brazil’s ⁠antitrust ⁠watchdog CADE approved ⁠on Thursday a recommendation to deepen investigations ​into the use of journalistic content by Alphabet’s Google, ‌which would assess potential abuse ‌of the company’s dominant market position. CADE’s members ⁠backed ⁠a proposal from its interim chief Diogo Thomson de ​Andrade to return the case to its general superintendence for formal administrative proceedings, citing the evolution of Google’s ​conduct since the 2019 inquiry began. • The case began ⁠following CADE’s ⁠2019 determination to ⁠examine ​competitive conditions in search and news markets. • Initial investigation focused ​on Google’s automated ⁠collection of journalistic content and its display in search results. • CADE’s general superintendence had previously recommended shelving the case for lack of sufficient evidence ⁠of violations. • De Andrade’s new analysis noted Google’s conduct ⁠evolved with AI generative features that synthesize information directly in search interfaces. • It highlighted the potential structural dependency of news publishers on Google’s search mechanisms for audience reach. • De Andrade pointed out this could constitute exploitative abuse through extracting value …

German regulator targets Capital Bra over alleged illegal gambling promotion case

German regulator targets Capital Bra over alleged illegal gambling promotion case

Published by skeptic

Germany’s gambling regulator says it has intensified action against rapper Capital Bra after what it describes as repeated promotion of illegal online gambling across his social media accounts. The Joint Gambling Authority of the Länder, or GGL, said on Monday (April 20) that an ongoing case centers on videos and livestreams in which the artist allegedly showed himself using unauthorized gambling services while encouraging followers to engage with them. The news comes after reports that he was rushed to the hospital the same day following an alleged drug overdose. Capital Bra soll Werbung gemacht, selbst gespielt und das im Internet gezeigt haben. Die Glücksspielbehörde will, dass er zahlt, doch der Rapper reagiert nicht. https://t.co/Fq9g0Fz4Au — stern (@sternde) April 20, 2026 According to the authority, videos remained available on his channels after the streams ended, while banner advertising for related sites continued to appear. Regulators also allege he ran a comparison website that directed users toward illegal gambling providers. German law bars advertising for illegal gambling under Section 5, paragraph 7 of the 2021 State Treaty …

The House | Can The Building Safety Regulator Cast Off Its ‘Bottleneck’ Reputation?

The House | Can The Building Safety Regulator Cast Off Its ‘Bottleneck’ Reputation?

Published by Sam Flores

Former London Fire Commissioner Lord Roe is said to have made significant improvements to the way the Building Safety Regulator works (Collage by Antonello Sticca) 8 min read57 min The Building Safety Regulator is under new leadership. Will it succeed in fixing a broken system? Noah Vickers reports England’s Building Safety Regulator did not get off to the best of starts. Created under the last government’s Building Safety Act of 2022, the BSR was designed to prevent a tragedy like the Grenfell Tower fire from ever happening again. As well as overseeing the remediation of existing buildings, all new-build developments which qualify as ‘higher-risk’ at the planning stage are referred to the regulator for approval, and if they fail to pass muster, are sent back for changes to be made. The definition of ‘higher-risk’ means any block of flats taller than 18 metres, or seven storeys, comes under the BSR’s purview. But soon after the regulator’s establishment, it quickly struggled with the volume of applications it was receiving, and delays mounted …

Pennsylvania regulator fines BetMGM over weak fraud detection controls

Pennsylvania regulator fines BetMGM over weak fraud detection controls

Published by skeptic

Pennsylvania gaming regulators have levied a $100,000 fine against BetMGM after concluding the company did not have strong enough safeguards in place to prevent fraud on its online betting platforms. The penalty was approved during the board’s public meeting on March 25 and stems from a consent agreement negotiated with the agency’s Office of Enforcement Counsel following an investigation into BetMGM’s account monitoring and identity verification practices. Fraud rings exploited gaps in identity checks According to regulators, BetMGM’s systems were not strong enough to stop users from opening and operating multiple accounts using stolen or improperly used personal information. Officials pointed to shortcomings in the operator’s Know-Your-Customer (KYC) procedures, which are meant to verify a bettor’s identity before they can place wagers. Investigators said four separate fraud rings exploited those weaknesses over periods ranging from 19 to 34 months. Over that time, the groups created hundreds of accounts using other people’s identifying details and funded them with fraudulently obtained payment methods. operated for approximately 25 months until January 2024 with 1,567 accounts created using personal …