Neil Hodge

Nottingham

Photographer and Journalist at Freelance

Documentary photographer, investigative journalist, business and legal writer, dog lover. Working on long-term mesothelioma/asbestos photojournalism project

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Articles

Crypto firms brace for tighter UK oversight as FCA plots integration with financial markets

1 week ago | complianceweek.com | Neil Hodge

Trying to put rules in place to oversee an industry that has grown largely outside of regulation is not without serious challenges. But the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) latest consultation aims to attract industry views about how some key aspects of crypto trading should be regulated ahead of planned legislation due to come into effect next year. The FCA and the Bank of England have previously been wary of seemingly endorsing an industry that presents a high risk to consumers.
Seven years in, GDPR faces growing challenges from AI and ‘consent or pay’ models

2 weeks ago | complianceweek.com | Neil Hodge

Europe’s pioneering data protection legislation turned seven years old in May, but the compliance and enforcement difficulties that have dogged the rules since they came into force look set to present both companies and data regulators with fresh headaches for some time to come. The EU-wide regulator of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has issued its latest annual report detailing some of the enforcement trends from 2024.
What is AI washing and why companies need to stop exaggerating their AI prowess

2 weeks ago | complianceweek.com | Neil Hodge

The buzz around generative AI has reached fever pitch over the past few years—to such an extent that it’s practically a death knell for any company to say it’s not investing massively in gen AI to transform their business. There’s only one problem: many companies are either being misleading or lying about the extent they are using such technology and what it’s capable of.
The misinformation threat to corporates

3 weeks ago | ibanet.org | Neil Hodge

The spread of false information is a major issue for corporates. Misinformation can hurt organisations by damaging consumer trust and ultimately affecting their bottom line. In-House Perspective assesses the threat and how counsel can help counter it. Until recently, the chances of a company suffering any lasting damage as a result of a deliberate misinformation campaign were thankfully low. But not anymore.
UK regulator’s efforts to coax self-reporting fraud could fall flat, experts warn

1 month ago | complianceweek.com | Neil Hodge

To both clean up corporate behaviour and rack up its own enforcement record, the UK’s anti-bribery agency has seemingly largely guaranteed companies a pass from prosecution if they spill the beans on their misconduct. There’s only one problem: experts believe businesses may still stand a better outcome if they front it out rather than self-report and hope for a deal.
Delayed UK antitrust case underscores compliance, reputational risks

1 month ago | complianceweek.com | Neil Hodge

Antitrust infringement cases in the United Kingdom can run on for years, but there’s a question whether issuing fines that are dwarfed by the revenues of those organisations involved is a worthy deterrent—particularly if they are imposed over a decade after the misconduct ended. It’s also debatable whether the first company to admit that it has been part of a cartel for years should get away scot-free if it agrees to turn over all the dirt on the other members.
UK’s Deregulation Drive Raises Compliance Risk, Say Top Lawyers

2 months ago | complianceweek.com | Neil Hodge

The United Kingdom’s latest effort to encourage regulators to pare down rules to attract companies and investment as a way to stimulate the economy has received mixed reviews from lawyers. That’s because the drive to scrap regulations not only brings into question which rules should be deemed defunct and why, but more importantly, whether the UK’s system of regulators acting as both watchdogs and market cheerleaders is conflicted and flawed.
FCA faces criticism for email retention policy critics say risks erasing evidence

2 months ago | complianceweek.com | Neil Hodge

The UK’s financial regulator has come under fire for its announcement that it is going to delete emails after a year in an effort to become a more “efficient” regulator, raising concerns that it might accidentally erase evidence in the process. Up until now, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has retained all emails as a matter of policy, with staff being responsible for marking emails that should be saved as important records.
Risk Management Magazine - How to Navigate Tariff Volatility

2 months ago | rmmagazine.com | Neil Hodge

For the past few decades, the prospect of a trade war triggered by tariffs and other protectionist policies had never posed a serious risk to companies, but times have changed. With the United States announcing sweeping tariffs on all imports, as well as higher reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries, uncertainty remains about how, when and to what extent other countries will respond, while experts expect far-reaching and significant impacts to both businesses and consumers.
Risk Management Magazine - Improving Compliance Training

2 months ago | rmmagazine.com | Neil Hodge

Compliance training is often dismissed as a “check-box” exercise that satisfies regulatory or contractual requirements but does not provide any real value. Regulators, professional bodies and other key stakeholder groups may see the benefits of promoting enterprise-wide awareness about the legal risks arising from a range of key issues such as cybersecurity and data protection, modern slavery, or health and safety.