David Clee at MirrorWeb explains how to keep the lines of communication open with a globalised workforce
Nearly half of all compliance officers say anxiety is just part of their job – and it’s not hard to see why. Imagine trying to monitor, analyse and archive a flood of employee communications every single day. The average Microsoft Teams user sends around 1,000 messages every month. Multiply that by thousands of employees, and you’re buried in millions of messages. No human, no matter how sharp, can keep up with that kind of volume.
This reality has turned the compliance function into a relentless, high-stakes pressure cooker. Regulators, especially heavy hitters like the SEC, are clamping down harder than ever on any business falling short. Billions of dollars have been issued in fines due to poor data archiving standards and sloppy communication practices. For CCOs, that means skyrocketing pressure, shrinking margins for error, and personal accountability like never before.
Risks of new communication channels
How we work is always changing, and so are the tools we use to connect. Messaging apps like WhatsApp are virtually everywhere, posing a considerable problem for compliance teams who are often scrambling to keep pace. Every off-channel fine starts with the same false assumption: ‘We had a policy for that.’
Regulators don’t care about your intent. They want records. To properly manage these growing regulatory demands, organisations need to be nimble but precise, and implement solid, carefully planned compliance strategies.
Watertight compliance relies on transparent visibility and tight control over every communication platform and the information flowing through them. Without it, organisations are skating on thin ice. Allowing staff to use unapproved, unmonitored channels to chat is a straight path to serious regulatory headaches, with the genuine risk of hefty fines.
But the key issue here isn’t the tool itself; it’s the lack of oversight. New channels will always be emerging; it’s about making sure they’re monitored. So, overseeing all interactions isn’t just a good idea – it’s essential.
Swamped by data, pinched by regulations
Keeping tabs on all internal and external communications has never been simple. More recently, the SEC has notably ramped up its enforcement, significantly increasing the stakes. This year alone,12 firms paid $63 million in fines – not for what they said, but where they said it. Every order detailed the same mistake: employees, including senior leadership, using off-channel apps without approved archiving. The communications were business-related, and the firms couldn’t produce them. That was enough.
In highly regulated industries like finance, diligent record-keeping is non-negotiable. But as communication channels multiply, so does the data, and every piece must be monitored and archived accurately.
And for those who fall behind on their record-keeping? Regulators are increasingly naming, shaming and fining firms that don’t measure up.
The human cost of compliance debt
The cost of compliance overload isn’t just fines – it’s people.
Every day, compliance officers face a shifting regulatory landscape. They’re often expected to handle everything, and their responsibilities keep expanding with each new directive. When review queues explode, compliance teams don’t sleep. They triage. They firefight. They burn out.
This expectation for compliance officers to know everything and be everywhere takes a heavy toll. Many report feeling overwhelmed and spread too thin, and now 74% of organisations see compliance as a burden. But are these organisations right to do so?
On one hand, the high levels of anxiety aren’t a minor detail; they’re a real business risk. The constant need to perform without error across so many complex areas can easily result in burnout, lower job satisfaction, and, crucially, lead to critical compliance gaps. What started as alert fatigue ends up as systematic risk.
I’ve seen it:
- Strategic initiatives stall because teams are stuck responding to harmless flags.
- High-risk messages go unreviewed, buried under the noise.
- Other departments stall, waiting on guidance from an overstretched team.
But on the other hand, while this level of burnout poses a massive problem to the overall compliance strategy, organisations are well-positioned to manage it – if they invest in the proper resources.
So, what’s needed for these challenges to be turned into opportunities?
Technology. In fact, 93% of compliance teams agree that new technology such as automation and artificial intelligence make compliance easier. Bottom line? The right technology investment is crucial to enhance and help to make compliance processes smoother, reduce the operational burden, and ease some of the intense pressure these professionals are under.
Next in communications compliance
AI is everywhere – whether you believe it to be assisted or artificial intelligence. It’s unavoidable – and businesses have taken notice. It makes operations faster, cheaper and more efficient. In fact, over a quarter of US business leaders admit to using AI to cut their company’s costs.
Businesses now face a high-stakes balancing act: embracing AI while staying airtight on compliance, especially across communication platforms. This isn’t just a set of hurdles, but a turning point. Get this right, and it can act as a launchpad for smarter, faster, more future-ready operations.
Smart, intelligence-driven tools are key to easing these compliance burdens. These systems help compliance teams work more effectively, slashing manual workload and freeing up officers for strategic tasks, such as proactive audits, sharper training, and staying ahead of regulators.
But unless it’s defensible, explainable, and aligned with actual compliance workflows, it won’t be adopted, or worse, it’ll increase risk under the illusion of coverage.
Which is why it’s key to partner with the right tools, so organisations can weave compliance smoothly into their day-to-day without hindering communication. By promoting openness and responsibility, firms can change how compliance is viewed – from an obstacle to a catalyst for innovation.
Regulations may be rigid, but a smart, tech-driven strategy turns them into a competitive edge.
David Clee is CEO at MirrorWeb
Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com and everythingpossible
