Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

The Message Is Clear: Assess Your Information Governance Practices In Light of DOJ and SEC Crackdown on Use of Personal Devices and Messaging Apps

By Jonathan B. New, Patrick T. Campbell, James A. Sherer and Luke E. Record
July 01, 2023

Regulators increasingly are scrutinizing employee use of personal devices and third-party messaging apps ― in particular, but not only, ephemeral apps where messages automatically disappear ― as employees continue to conduct business on multiple platforms and concurrent channels of communication. The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently issued its most comprehensive guidance to date on its expectations that companies preserve all business communications conducted on personal devices and messaging apps. And the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) continue to aggressively enforce their recordkeeping rules against regulated entities that do not properly preserve their electronic business communications. Notably, while the SEC and CFTC have been focused on regulated entities, the DOJ's guidance applies to all businesses.

This article summarizes the DOJ's recent guidance and the SEC's enforcement trends and priorities in this area, and it provides information governance best practices companies can implement now to ensure they are meeting regulators' expectations and recordkeeping rules.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.

Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar Investigations Image

This article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.

The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programs Image

The parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.

CLE Shouldn't Be the Only Mandatory Training for Attorneys Image

Each stage of an attorney's career offers opportunities for a curriculum that addresses both the individual's and the firm's need to drive success.

Discovery of Claim Construction and Infringement Analysis May be Compelled Prior to a Markman Hearing Image

A defendant in a patent infringement suit may, during discovery and prior to a <i>Markman</i> hearing, compel the plaintiff to produce claim charts, claim constructions, and element-by-element infringement analyses.