#Digital Compliance

[adasitecompliance]

ADA Site Compliance

Demonstrate your commitment to inclusivity and accessibility with ADA site compliance. Our services ensure that your website aligns with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), providing equal access to all users and fostering a more inclusive digital experience!

[sgsystemsglobal]

Navigating Compliance in the Digital Age: The Essence of Audit Digital Compliance

In the ever-evolving landscape of business operations, maintaining compliance is a dynamic challenge. Audit Digital Compliance emerges as a transformative solution, leveraging technology to streamline and fortify the audit process. This approach involves the digitization of compliance checks, assessments, and documentation, replacing traditional paper-based methods with efficient, technology-driven systems.

Audit Digital Compliance at a Glance:

Audit Digital Compliance integrates advanced technologies such as data analytics, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing to enhance the accuracy, efficiency, and transparency of compliance processes. By automating routine tasks, this digital approach reduces the margin for human error, accelerates audit timelines, and ensures a real-time overview of compliance status.

Benefits of Audit Digital Compliance:

Real-Time Monitoring: The digital transformation allows organizations to monitor their compliance status in real time. This proactive approach enables swift identification and rectification of any compliance gaps, reducing the risk of regulatory penalties.

Efficiency and Accuracy: Automation of audit processes eliminates manual tasks, reducing the likelihood of errors and ensuring a more accurate assessment of compliance. This not only saves time but also enhances the reliability of compliance data.

Centralized Documentation: Audit Digital Compliance centralizes documentation in secure, easily accessible digital repositories. This not only simplifies record-keeping but also facilitates efficient retrieval during audits, minimizing the administrative burden on organizations.

Adaptability to Regulatory Changes: In a regulatory landscape that is constantly evolving, digital compliance solutions offer the flexibility to adapt swiftly to new requirements. Updates and modifications can be implemented seamlessly across the organization, ensuring ongoing adherence to compliance standards.

In conclusion, Audit Digital Compliance represents a paradigm shift in the way organizations approach and manage their compliance obligations. Embracing this digital transformation not only fortifies organizations against regulatory risks but also positions them at the forefront of efficient, forward-thinking business practices.

[mirrorreview]

After recognizing shortcomings in tools to manage digital compliance and information assurance, Austin Ogilvie founded Thoropass (formerly Laika) along with co-founders Eva Pittas and Sam Li. Thoropass is a compliance automation platform that helps companies manage security and privacy controls without slowing down business operations. The solution includes software to manage policies and procedures, track and monitor controls, and access various compliance and information assurance services. Inside Thoropass, there is a lot going on—they raised a $50M Series C in Nov ‘22 and just did a full rebrand from Laika to Thoropass. Let us begin by exploring the journey of this compliance tech company and getting to know its leadership.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Apple to EU: “Go fuck yourself”

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/06/spoil-the-bunch/#dma

There's a strain of anti-anti-monopolist that insists that they're not pro-monopoly – they're just realists who understand that global gigacorporations are too big to fail, too big to jail, and that governments can't hope to rein them in. Trying to regulate a tech giant, they say, is like trying to regulate the weather.

This ploy is cousins with Jay Rosen's idea of "savvying," defined as: "dismissing valid questions with the insider's, 'and this surprises you?'"

https://twitter.com/jayrosen_nyu/status/344825874362810369?lang=en

In both cases, an apologist for corruption masquerades as a pragmatist who understands the ways of the world, unlike you, a pathetic dreamer who foolishly hopes for a better world. In both cases, the apologist provides cover for corruption, painting it as an inevitability, not a choice. "Don't hate the player. Hate the game."

The reason this foolish nonsense flies is that we are living in an age of rampant corruption and utter impunity. Companies really do get away with both literal and figurative murder. Governments really do ignore horrible crimes by the rich and powerful, and fumble what rare, few enforcement efforts they assay.

Take the GDPR, Europe's landmark privacy law. The GDPR establishes strict limitations of data-collection and processing, and provides for brutal penalties for companies that violate its rules. The immediate impact of the GDPR was a mass-extinction event for Europe's data-brokerages and surveillance advertising companies, all of which were in obvious violation of the GDPR's rules.

But there was a curious pattern to GDPR enforcement: while smaller, EU-based companies were swiftly shuttered by its provisions, the US-based giants that conduct the most brazen, wide-ranging, illegal surveillance escaped unscathed for years and years, continuing to spy on Europeans.

One (erroneous) way to look at this is as a "compliance moat" story. In that story, GDPR requires a bunch of expensive systems that only gigantic companies like Facebook and Google can afford. These compliance costs are a "capital moat" – a way to exclude smaller companies from functioning in the market. Thus, the GDPR acted as an anticompetitive wrecking ball, clearing the field for the largest companies, who get to operate without having to contend with smaller companies nipping at their heels:

https://www.techdirt.com/2019/06/27/another-report-shows-gdpr-benefited-google-facebook-hurt-everyone-else/

This is wrong.

Oh, compliance moats are definitely real – think of the calls for AI companies to license their training data. AI companies can easily do this – they'll just buy training data from giant media companies – the very same companies that hope to use models to replace creative workers with algorithms. Create a new copyright over training data won't eliminate AI – it'll just confine AI to the largest, best capitalized companies, who will gladly provide tools to corporations hoping to fire their workforces:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/09/ai-monkeys-paw/#bullied-schoolkids

But just because some regulations can be compliance moats, that doesn't mean that all regulations are compliance moats. And just because some regulations are vigorously applied to small companies while leaving larger firms unscathed, it doesn't follow that the regulation in question is a compliance moat.

A harder look at what happened with the GDPR reveals a completely different dynamic at work. The reason the GDPR vaporized small surveillance companies and left the big companies untouched had nothing to do with compliance costs. The Big Tech companies don't comply with the GDPR – they just get away with violating the GDPR.

How do they get away with it? They fly Irish flags of convenience. Decades ago, Ireland started dabbling with offering tax-havens to the wealthy and mobile – they invented the duty-free store:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duty-free_shop#1947%E2%80%931990:_duty_free_establishment

Capturing pennies from the wealthy by helping them avoid fortunes they owed in taxes elsewhere was terribly seductive. In the years that followed, Ireland began aggressively courting the wealthy on an industrial scale, offering corporations the chance to duck their obligations to their host countries by flying an Irish flag of convenience.

There are other countries who've tried this gambit – the "treasure islands" of the Caribbean, the English channel, and elsewhere – but Ireland is part of the EU. In the global competition to help the rich to get richer, Ireland had a killer advantage: access to the EU, the common market, and 500m affluent potential customers. The Caymans can hide your money for you, and there's a few super-luxe stores and art-galleries in George Town where you can spend it, but it's no Champs Elysees or Ku-Damm.

But when you're competing with other countries for the pennies of trillion-dollar tax-dodgers, any wins can be turned into a loss in an instant. After all, any corporation that is footloose enough to establish a Potemkin Headquarters in Dublin and fly the trídhathach can easily up sticks and open another Big Store HQ in some other haven that offers it a sweeter deal.

This has created a global race to the bottom among tax-havens to also serve as regulatory havens – and there's a made-in-the-EU version that sees Ireland, Malta, Cyprus and sometimes the Netherlands competing to see who can offer the most impunity for the worst crimes to the most awful corporations in the world.

And that's why Google and Facebook haven't been extinguished by the GDPR while their rivals were. It's not compliance moats – it's impunity. Once a corporation attains a certain scale, it has the excess capital to spend on phony relocations that let it hop from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, chasing the loosest slots on the strip. Ireland is a made town, where the cops are all on the take, and two thirds of the data commissioner's rulings are eventually overturned by the federal court:

https://www.iccl.ie/digital-data/iccl-2023-gdpr-report/

This is a problem among many federations, not just the EU. The US has its onshore-offshore tax- and regulation-havens (Delaware, South Dakota, Texas, etc), and so does Canada (Alberta), and some Swiss cantons are, frankly, batshit:

https://lenews.ch/2017/11/25/swiss-fact-some-swiss-women-had-to-wait-until-1991-to-vote/

None of this is to condemn federations outright. Federations are (potentially) good! But federalism has a vulnerability: the autonomy of the federated states means that they can be played against each other by national or transnational entities, like corporations. This doesn't mean that it's impossible to regulate powerful entities within a federation – but it means that federal regulation needs to account for the risk of jurisdiction-shopping.

Enter the Digital Markets Act, a new Big Tech specific law that, among other things, bans monopoly app stores and payment processing, through which companies like Apple and Google have levied a 30% tax on the entire app market, while arrogating to themselves the right to decide which software their customers may run on their own devices:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/07/curatorial-vig/#app-tax

Apple has responded to this regulation with a gesture of contempt so naked and broad that it beggars belief. As Proton describes, Apple's DMA plan is the very definition of malicious compliance:

https://proton.me/blog/apple-dma-compliance-plan-trap

Recall that the DMA is intended to curtail monopoly software distribution through app stores and mobile platforms' insistence on using their payment processors, whose fees are sky-high. The law is intended to extinguish developer agreements that ban software creators from informing customers that they can get a better deal by initiating payments elsewhere, or by getting a service through the web instead of via an app.

In response, Apple, has instituted a junk fee it calls the "Core Technology Fee": EUR0.50/install for every installation over 1m. As Proton writes, as apps grow more popular, using third-party payment systems will grow less attractive. Apple has offered discounts on its eye-watering payment processing fees to a mere 20% for the first payment and 13% for renewals. Compare this with the normal – and far, far too high – payment processing fees the rest of the industry charges, which run 2-5%. On top of all this, Apple has lied about these new discounted rates, hiding a 3% "processing" fee in its headline figures.

As Proton explains, paying 17% fees and EUR0.50 for each subscriber's renewal makes most software businesses into money-losers. The only way to keep them afloat is to use Apple's old, default payment system. That choice is made more attractive by Apple's inclusion of a "scare screen" that warns you that demons will rend your soul for all eternity if you try to use an alternative payment scheme.

Apple defends this scare screen by saying that it will protect users from the intrinsic unreliability of third-party processors, but as Proton points out, there are plenty of giant corporations who get to use their own payment processors with their iOS apps, because Apple decided they were too big to fuck with. Somehow, Apple can let its customers spend money Uber, McDonald's, Airbnb, Doordash and Amazon without terrorizing them about existential security risks – but not mom-and-pop software vendors or publishers who don't want to hand 30% of their income over to a three-trillion-dollar company.

Apple has also reserved the right to cancel any alternative app store and nuke it from Apple customers' devices without warning, reason or liability. Those app stores also have to post a one-million euro line of credit in order to be considered for iOS. Given these terms, it's obvious that no one is going to offer a third-party app store for iOS and if they did, no one would list their apps in it.

The fuckery goes on and on. If an app developer opts into third-party payments, they can't use Apple's payment processing too – so any users who are scared off by the scare screen have no way to pay the app's creators. And once an app creator opts into third party payments, they can never go back – the decision is permanent.

Apple also reserves the right to change all of these policies later, for the worse ("I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it further" -D. Vader). They have warned developers that they might change the API for reporting external sales and revoke developers' right to use alternative app stores at its discretion, with no penalties if that screws the developer.

Apple's contempt extends beyond app marketplaces. The DMA also obliges Apple to open its platform to third party browsers and browser engines. Every browser on iOS is actually just Safari wrapped in a cosmetic skin, because Apple bans third-party browser-engines:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/13/kitbashed/#app-store-tax

But, as Mozilla puts it, Apple's plan for this is "as painful as possible":

https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/26/24052067/mozilla-apple-ios-browser-rules-firefox

For one thing, Apple will only allow European customers to run alternative browser engines. That means that Firefox will have to "build and maintain two separate browser implementations — a burden Apple themselves will not have to bear."

(One wonders how Apple will treat Americans living in the EU, whose Apple accounts still have US billing addresses – these people will still be entitled to the browser choice that Apple is grudgingly extending to Europeans.)

All of this sends a strong signal that Apple is planning to run the same playbook with the DMA that Google and Facebook used on the GDPR: ignore the law, use lawyerly bullshit to chaff regulators, and hope that European federalism has sufficiently deep cracks that it can hide in them when the enforcers come to call.

But Apple is about to get a nasty shock. For one thing, the DMA allows wronged parties to start their search for justice in the European federal court system – bypassing the Irish regulators and courts. For another, there is a global movement to check corporate power, and because the tech companies do the same kinds of fuckery in every territory, regulators are able to collaborate across borders to take them down.

Take Apple's app store monopoly. The best reference on this is the report published by the UK Competition and Markets Authority's Digital Markets Unit:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63f61bc0d3bf7f62e8c34a02/Mobile_Ecosystems_Final_Report_amended_2.pdf

The devastating case that the DMU report was key to crafting the DMA – but it also inspired a US law aimed at forcing app markets open:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/2710

And a Japanese enforcement action:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Japan-to-crack-down-on-Apple-and-Google-app-store-monopolies

And action in South Korea:

https://www.reuters.com/technology/skorea-considers-505-mln-fine-against-google-apple-over-app-market-practices-2023-10-06/

These enforcers gather for annual meetings – I spoke at one in London, convened by the Competition and Markets Authority – where they compare notes, form coalitions, and plan strategy:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cma-data-technology-and-analytics-conference-2022-registration-308678625077

This is where the savvying breaks down. Yes, Apple is big enough to run circles around Japan, or South Korea, or the UK. But when those countries join forces with the EU, the USA and other countries that are fed up to the eyeballs with Apple's bullshit, the company is in serious danger.

It's true that Apple has convinced a bunch of its customers that buying a phone from a multi-trillion-dollar corporation makes you a member of an oppressed religious minority:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/12/youre-holding-it-wrong/#if-dishwashers-were-iphones

Some of those self-avowed members of the "Cult of Mac" are willing to take the company's pronouncements at face value and will dutifully repeat Apple's claims to be "protecting" its customers. But even that credulity has its breaking point – Apple can only poison the well so many times before people stop drinking from it. Remember when the company announced a miraculous reversal to its war on right to repair, later revealed to be a bald-faced lie?

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/22/vin-locking/#thought-differently

Or when Apple claimed to be protecting phone users' privacy, which was also a lie?

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar

The savvy will see Apple lying (again) and say, "this surprises you?" No, it doesn't surprise me, but it pisses me off – and I'm not the only one, and Apple's insulting lies are getting less effective by the day.

Image: Alex Popovkin, Bahia, Brazil from Brazil (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Annelid_worm,_Atlantic_forest,_northern_littoral_of_Bahia,_Brazil_%2816107326533%29.jpg

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

--

Hubertl (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2015-03-04_Elstar_%28apple%29_starting_putrefying_IMG_9761_bis_9772.jpg

CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

[numy-numnum]

would u put her in a jar chat?

[scrollwyrm]

Artists of Wof,

Personally I like to go ham. IMO, all of the above “implied” colour palettes are canon, and there are more. Anemone’s albino. Listener’s dark red. Cricket has blue eyes. Peril’s scales change colour a lil bit between shades of orange. Glory’s resting scales are mossy green and brown. I’d justify all of that if asked.

[emry-stars-art]

Goofs and gaffs in the chat about mer Jean and Kevin seeing sunshine pirate/fisher/general beach enjoyer Jeremy and immediately deciding they need to somehow get his attention

[ask-caine-tadc]

... i knew you were here somewhere

aw, aren't you happy to see me? we're brothers in code, after all!

i just wasn't expecting you, ever

now that's not quite the warm welcome i was imagining i'd receive. let's try again, shall well? hello, Caine!

hi... Abel

and welcome to the circus

[reginap5]

Sweden's Exemplary Anti-Corruption Stand: A Deep Dive into KYC and AML Practices

In the realm of global integrity and transparency, Sweden stands tall as the paragon of virtue, earning the coveted title of the world's least corrupt country, as per the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). Behind this remarkable achievement lies Sweden's unwavering commitment to combat corruption through robust Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws, particularly focusing on stringent Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols. These protocols require financial institutions to verify the identity of their customers and any transactions they make. Furthermore, Sweden has implemented measures to protect whistleblowers and to ensure that any instances of corruption are investigated and prosecuted.

The Pillars of Trust: KYC in Sweden

Sweden's success in maintaining its reputation for integrity is deeply rooted in its proactive approach to KYC. The KYC process, an integral part of financial and business operations, plays a pivotal role in preventing corruption and money laundering by ensuring thorough identification and verification of customers. Sweden has invested heavily in its KYC system, building a comprehensive database of customer information. It has also implemented strict regulations requiring companies to report suspicious activity to the government. As a result, Sweden has become a world leader in the fight against financial crime.

KYC Solutions: More than a Mandate

KYC in Sweden goes beyond mere compliance; it serves as a comprehensive solution to safeguard the financial ecosystem. The emphasis on accurate customer identification, risk assessment, and ongoing monitoring establishes a formidable defense against illicit financial activities. Sweden's KYC system also promotes customer trust and increases customer convenience. By streamlining the onboarding process, customers can easily open an account and start trading. Additionally, the KYC system provides customers with better control over their money, as they can easily monitor their account activity.

Compliance at the Core

Sweden's commitment to compliance is evident in its KYC practices. Striking a delicate balance between stringent regulations and practical implementation, the country has fostered an environment where businesses operate with transparency and adhere to the highest ethical standards. Sweden's KYC regulations are designed to prevent money laundering and financial crime. The country has put in place a comprehensive set of measures, including customer due diligence, to ensure that businesses comply with the law. Additionally, Sweden has implemented a reporting system that allows authorities to track suspicious activity in real time.

AML Laws in Sweden: A Global Benchmark

Sweden's AML laws are not just a legal requirement but a testament to its commitment to global financial integrity. The country's legal framework provides a solid foundation for detecting and preventing money laundering activities, contributing significantly to its stellar position on the CPI. Sweden also has a strong commitment to international cooperation and information sharing, which helps to further strengthen the AML legal framework. Additionally, the country has implemented strict regulations on financial institutions, including requirements to report suspicious transactions.

KYC Service Providers – KYC Sweden Leading the Way

Sweden has emerged as a frontrunner in KYC solutions, with a focus on providing efficient and reliable services. KYC service providers in Sweden leverage advanced technologies and methodologies to offer the best-in-class identification and verification processes, setting the gold standard for global counterparts. Swedish KYC providers also provide the highest level of security, protecting customer data and complying with all local regulations. Furthermore, Swedish KYC providers offer a wide range of services, including onboarding, identity verification, and fraud prevention.

KYC for Swedish Businesses: A Necessity, not an Option

For businesses operating in Sweden, KYC is not merely a regulatory checkbox but a fundamental practice. The stringent KYC requirements ensure that businesses are well-acquainted with their clients, mitigating the risk of involvement in any illicit or corrupt activities. It also helps to protect the rights of customers, as it ensures that they are aware of who is handling their data. KYC also helps businesses to identify any potential risks associated with doing business with a particular customer.

Global Impact: KYC Sweden's Ripple Effect

Sweden's commitment to KYC and AML has a ripple effect beyond its borders. Businesses operating globally, including Swedish enterprises with international footprints, benefit from the robust KYC measures in place. This not only safeguards these businesses but also contributes to the overall global effort against corruption. As a result, other countries and organizations are encouraged to implement strong KYC and AML measures, which help to create a safer business environment for everyone. Additionally, these measures help to protect consumers from malicious actors and financial crimes.

Conclusion

Sweden's standing as the world's least corrupt country is a testament to its meticulous implementation of KYC and AML laws. By placing compliance, integrity, and transparency at the forefront of its financial practices, Sweden has set a precedent for nations worldwide. As businesses and governments grapple with the challenges of maintaining trust and financial integrity, KYC Sweden's model of KYC and AML serves as an exemplary beacon guiding the way forward. The integration of KYC solutions is not just a legal requirement for Sweden; it is a proactive strategy that continues to fortify its position as a global leader in the fight against corruption.

[adasitecompliance]

Digital Compliance

The Future Of Website Compliance: Emerging Regulations And Trends To Watch

With the recent publishing of WCAG 2.2 as the ‘W3C Recommendation’ web standard, with an additional nine success criteria, multiple questions have cropped up about the future of website compliance. Besides, multiple expected and unexpected changes impact global and supply chains, thus triggering more risks like data and consumer privacy threats and cybersecurity. It is no wonder there is now an increase in regulatory technology, leading to the need for streamlined, cost-effective, and technologically advanced solutions for website compliance. We at ADA Site Compliance thoroughly know web accessibility complexities. Our team of compliance experts keeps themselves constantly updated about the latest regulations and trends to help your business prioritize website accessibility and consequently improve your bottom line.

Ten Regulatory Technology Trends to Watch in 2024

There are ten important reg tech trends to watch out for in 2024. Each of these trends can redefine compliance technology:

1. AI-Driven Compliance Solutions

With AI and machine learning automating and enhancing regulatory adherence, tasks like sifting through vast data volumes, detecting abnormalities, and generating real-time actionable insights have never been quicker. It helps organizations stay ahead of emerging regulatory compliance trends and requirements.

2. Blockchain Technology

Blockchain’s immutable and transparent ledger has made huge strides in the Know Your Customer process. Secure and efficient customer verification helps reduce fraud and streamline due diligence.

3. Real-Time Monitoring

Multiple organizations continually assess compliance posture and adjust strategies to ensure compliance with the shifting regulations to take new risks and help with risk management.

4. Cybersecurity Takes Top Priority for Optimal Data Security

The constant rise in cyberattacks makes cybersecurity a top priority for organizations. Compliance officers generally follow these steps for optimal cybersecurity compliance efforts:

Keeping updated with the latest cybersecurity threats and attacks

Developing and implementing appropriate data security procedures for employees with IT and security teams.

Regular risk assessments to identify risks and vulnerabilities and focus resources and initiatives where needed

Implementing appropriate access controls and data protection measures to minimize the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access

Creating incident response procedures outlining the necessary steps to take in case of cybersecurity incidents

5. Data Transfer Across Borders

Cross-border data transfer will take a more critical stand in 2024, with regulations like Europe’s Schrems II raising concerns about legally transferring sensitive information and data between jurisdictions. Regulatory technology initiatives require companies to seek compliant and secure ways to transfer sensitive data internationally.

6. Safe Supply Chains

Governments are concerned about having safe supply chains, especially in the healthcare and defense industries. Regtech solutions include organizations working with suppliers and partners who maintain optimal cybersecurity.

7. Prompt Report Of Incident

The quick and transparent reporting of cybersecurity incidents through robust incident response plans is another one of many regtech solutions.

8. Compliant Remote Working

Remote working is the new normal, bringing unique compliance challenges like maintaining data security. Regtech requires sophisticated compliance training and compliance programs leveraging technologies for a more immersive experience.

9. Data Privacy Regulations

Data privacy rules like GDPR are expected to have more new, stringent laws. The increased focus on countries outside the European Union enacting their own data privacy laws also adds another complex compliance layer for the analysis of data used.

10. Global Regulatory Cooperation

With an increasing number of globalized businesses, there is a growing need for regulatory harmonization. Standard global regulations will play a role in simplifying compliance and promoting international cooperation.

AI: An Advantage or Disadvantage to Mankind?

Undoubtedly, the most emerging trend in 2023 and 2024 is the advent of artificial intelligence. It is because the many AI tools available online make work so much easier and more efficient through:

Better compliance reporting

Automation of manual tasks

Absolute scalability and adaptability

Minimal human error and bias

Real-time monitoring and detection

Better risk assessments

Risk prediction and mitigation

Organizations that adopt and implement AI in their working process naturally improve their work efficiency and save time. They stay ahead of the trends and evolving regulatory requirements. This proactive approach, in turn, helps ensure an organization’s process integrity and trustworthiness.

Is It Ethical to Use Artificial Intelligence?

Undoubtedly AI tools do help streamline compliance issues. However, with the streamlining process, multiple questions revolving around the ethical use of AI for issues like algorithms have cropped up that need addressing.

Benefits of Using Regulatory Technology for Compliance Processes

The increased dynamic and complex regulatory landscapes have led to the creation of new regulations and the updating of existing ones. Compliance officers must thus understand and apply appropriate compliance processes and sustainable practices to maintain compliance in their organizations. Multiple regulatory tools and technologies are available today for compliance officers to automate the compliance process as per complex regulatory environment requirements. The other benefits of leveraging regulatory technologies for compliance and policy management include:

Automating tasks and reducing the reliance on manual efforts saves time and improves efficiency

Effective real-time monitoring and assessment of compliance risks will help take appropriate proactive measures

Improved data management and reporting systems providing easy access to assignments like documentation and audit trails

Agility and adaptability to be updated with regulatory changes through regular updating of compliance policies, policies, and regulations

Data Privacy Regulations – At the Hilt of Emerging

Data and analyzing data privacy of any organization ensures the organizations stick to legal and regulatory requirements. Data privacy regulations are also so vital in today’s changing business landscape. Protecting individual rights is now an integral part of data privacy regulations. Compliance officers are thus directly responsible for safeguarding personal data and computer systems from unauthorized access and misuse of user behavior to maintain trust between the organization and stakeholders.

With organizations operating in various regions with individual data privacy requirements, compliance officers and privacy professionals must understand regulations affecting international data transfers regardless of the organization’s geographical location. The constant introduction of new laws and updating existing regulations require compliance officers to keep themselves updated about them and adapt their compliance strategies. This ensures the organization remains compliant, avoids penalties, and adapts to new compliance requirements as they pop up.

Using Voice Search for Easy Searches

Thanks to AI, search engine technology has dramatically shifted how people conduct searches. It is mainly due to the growing use of assistants on mobile devices, like Siri, that has influenced the popularity and shift in search technology. With convenience and faster internet speeds taking priority, an increasing number of people are now using voice searches to conduct online searches. Voice searches work with the help of natural language processing that enables computers to understand written and spoken human language.

Conclusion

The pandemic has led to the growing trend of organizations moving their business operations online. Organizations must ensure digital compliance with appropriate regulations and industry standards. Compliance managers and officers can help their organizations remain compliant by staying updated about emerging trends and regulations. We at ADA Site Compliance thoroughly know web accessibility complexities. Our team of compliance experts keeps themselves constantly updated about the latest regulations and trends to help your business prioritize website accessibility and consequently improve your bottom line. Contact ADA Site Compliance today for all your website accessibility needs!

[apex-seo-work]

The Power of Accessible EPUBs: Revolutionizing Digital Reading for All | Documenta11y

Discover how accessible EPUBs are transforming digital reading. Learn about key accessibility features like navigation, multimedia support, and legal compliance to ensure inclusivity for all readers.

For more information:

[mostlysignssomeportents]

How Apple could open its App Store without really opening its App Store

Last week, Mark Gurman published a blockbuster story in Bloomberg, revealing Apple’s plan to allow third-party Ios App Stores to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act. Apple didn’t confirm it, but I believe it. Gurman’s sourcing was impeccable:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-13/will-apple-allow-users-to-install-third-party-app-stores-sideload-in-europe

This is a huge deal. While Apple’s “curated” approach to software delivers benefits to users, those benefits are unreliable. As I explain in a new post for EFF’s Deeplinks blog, Apple only fights for its users when doing so is good for its shareholders. But when something is good for Apple shareholders and bad for its customers, the shareholders win, every time:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/12/heres-how-apple-could-open-its-app-store-without-really-opening-its-app-store

To see how this works, just consider Apple’s record in China. First, Apple removed all working VPN apps from its Chinese App Store, to facilitate state spying on its Chinese customers:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-apple-vpn/apple-says-it-is-removing-vpn-services-from-china-app-store-idUSKBN1AE0BQ

Then Apple backdoored its Chinese cloud servers, to further facilitate state surveillance of Chinese Iphone owners:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/17/technology/apple-china-censorship-data.html

Then, just last month, Apple neutered Airdrop’s P2P file-sharing in order to help the Chinese state in its campaign to stamp out protests:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/11/apple-limits-iphone-filesharing-feature-used-by-protesters-in-china

Apple claims that its App Store is a fortress that protects its users against external threats. But the Iphone is designed to block its owners from choosing rival app stores, which means that when Apple betrays its customers, the fortress walls become prison walls. Governments know this, and they rely on it when they demand that Apple compromise its customers to totalitarian surveillance:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/11/foreseeable-consequences/#airdropped

Now, there’s an interesting contrast here. When the DFBI demanded that Apple backdoor its devices to aid in the prosecution of the San Bernardino shooters, Apple took its customers’ side, bravely refusing to compromise its devices:

https://www.eff.org/cases/apple-challenges-fbi-all-writs-act-order

That was the right call to make. Does it mean that Apple doesn’t value privacy for its Chinese customers’ privacy as much as it values it for American customers? Does it mean that Apple respects the CCP more than it respects the FBI?

Not at all. It just means that China was able to threaten Apple’s shareholders in ways that the DoJ couldn’t. Standing up to the Chinese government would threaten Apple’s access to 350 million middle-class Chinese potential customers, and an equal number of Chinese low-waged workers who could be tapped to manufacture Apple devices under brutal labor conditions at rock-bottom prices.

Standing up to the FBI didn’t threaten Apple’s shareholders the way that standing up to the CCP would, so Apple stood up for its American users and sold out its Chinese users.

But that doesn’t mean that US Apple customers are safe. In the US, Apple defends its customers from rival commercial threats, but actively prevents those customers from defending themselves against Apple’s own commercial threats.

Famously, Apple took its customers side over Facebook’s, adding an amazing, best-in-class, one-click opt-out to tracking, which is costing Facebook $10 billion per year. You love to see it:

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/02/facebook-says-apple-ios-privacy-change-will-cost-10-billion-this-year.html

On the other hand…Apple secretly continued to its customers’ clicks, taps, gestures, apps and keystrokes, even after those customers explicitly opted out of tracking, and used that data to build nonconsensual dossiers on every Ios owner for use in its own ad-targeting business:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar

Apple defended its customers against Facebook’s predation, but not its own. When Apple’s shareholder interests are on the line, Apple’s App Store becomes a prison, not a fortress: because Apple controls which software you can install, it can (and does) block you from installing apps that extend its block on commercial surveillance to Apple itself.

Then there’s the app tax. Apple charges app makers a 30% commission on all their sales, which means that certain businesses literally can’t exist. Take audiobooks: audiobook sellers have 20% gross margins on their wares. If they sell their audiobooks through apps and pay a 30% vig to Apple, they lose money on every sale. Thus, the only Ios app that will sell you an audiobook is Apple’s own Apple Books.

Apple Books requires authors and publishers to wrap their books in Apple’s DRM, and the DMCA makes it a felony to supply your own readers with a tool to convert the books you published to a rival’s format. That means that readers have to surrender every book they’ve bought on Apple Books if you switch platforms and ask them to follow you. It’s not just social media that turns creators into digital sharecroppers.

It’s not any better when it comes to the businesses that can eke out an existence under the app tax’s yoke. These businesses pass their extra costs on to Apple’s customers, who ultimately bear the app tax burden. Because every app maker has to pay the app tax, they all tacitly collude to hike their prices. And because mobile is a duopoly, the app tax is also buried in every Android app, because Google has exactly the same app tax as Apple (Google will also be forced to remove barriers to third-party app stores under the DMA).

All this to say that it is a terrible error to impute morals or values to giant corporations. Apple and Google are both immortal colony organisms that view human beings as inconvenient gut flora. They are remorseless paperclip-maximizing artificial life forms. They are, in other words, limited liability corporations.

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/paperclip-maximizer

“If you’re not paying for the product, you’re the product” sounds good, but it’s absolutely wrong. You can’t bribe a paperclip-maximizing colony organism into treating you with dignity by spending money with it. Companies’ treatment of you depends on what they can get away with — not their “personalities.” Apple doesn’t respect privacy — it thinks it can make more paperclips by giving some of its customers some privacy. As soon as Apple finds a way to make more paperclips by spying on those you (say, by starting its own internal adtech business), it will spy on you, and the $1000 you spent on your Iphone will not save you.

Once you understand that corporate conduct is a matter of power, not personality, then you understand that the way to prevent companies from harming you is to meet their power with countervailing power. This is why tech worker unions matter: organized labor has historically been the most important check on corporate power, which is why tech companies are so vicious in the face of union drives:

https://www.epi.org/publication/unions-decline-inequality-rises/

Beyond labor, two other forces can discipline corporate conduct: regulation and competition. The biggest threat to a business’s customers is that business’s own shareholders. A company might defend its customers against a rival, but they will never defend its customers against its own shareholders.

Regulation and competition both impose costs on shareholder who abuse their customers: regulation can punish bad conduct with fines that come out of shareholder profits, and competition can create a race to the top as businesses seek to poach each others’ customers by offering them progressively better deals.

Which brings me back to the DMA, the EU’s pending regulation forcing Apple to open its app store, and Apple’s leaked plans to comply with the regulation. This is (potentially) great news, because rival app stores can offer Apple customers an escape hatch from mandatory surveillance and price-gouging.

But the devil is in the details. There are so many ways that Apple can use malicious compliance to appear to offer a competitive app marketplace without actually doing so. In my article for EFF, I offer a checklist of fuckieries to watch for in Apple’s plans:

• Forcing software authors in Apple’s Developer Program. Not only does this force developers to pay Apple for the privilege of selling to Iphone owners, but it also forces them to sign onto a Bible-thick EULA that places all kinds of arbitrary limits on their software. It’s not enough for Apple to open up to rival app stores — it also must not sabotage rivals who produce competing SDKs for Ios.

• Forcing App Store criteria on rival app stores. Apple mustn’t be permitted to turn legitimate vetting for security or privacy risks into editorial control over which apps Ios users are allowed to use. Apple may not want to carry games that highlight labor conditions in high-tech manufacturing sweatshops:

https://venturebeat.com/games/apple-drops-uncomfortable-sweatshop-hd-game-from-app-store/

And it may object to apps that track US drone killings of civilians abroad:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/aug/30/apple-blocks-us-drone-strike-app

But those arbitrary editorial conditions shouldn’t be imposed on rival app stores.

• Taxing rival app stores for “security vetting.” Apple is not the only entity qualified to assess the security of apps:

https://www.schneier.com/essays/archives/2022/01/letter-to-the-us-senate-judiciary-committee-on-app-stores.html

and it’s just as capable as its rivals of making grave errors:

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/apple-fixes-exploited-iphone-zero/

It’s fine to say that app stores must submit to third-party security certification, but they should be free to choose Apple out of a field of qualified privacy certifiers.

• Requiring third-party app stores to process payments with Apple. The app tax should be disciplined by competition. Allowing Apple to extract 30% from transactions in its rivals’ app stores would defeat the whole purpose of the DMA.

• Arbitrarily revoking third party app stores. It’s foreseeable that some third-party app stores would be so incompetent or malicious that Apple could revoke their ability to operate on Ios devices. However, if Apple were to pretextually shut down third-party app stores, it could sour Iphone owners off the whole prospect of getting apps elsewhere.

Apple must not be permitted to use its power to shut down app stores in an anti-competitive way, but distinguishing pretextual shutdowns from bona fide ones is a time-consuming, fact-intensive process that could leave customers in limbo for years.

One way to manage this is for regulators to dangle massive fines for pretextual shutdowns. In addition to this, Apple must make some provision to continue its customers’ access to the apps, media and data from the app stores it shuts down.

All of this points to the role that regulators pay, even (especially) when it comes to disciplining companies through competition. The DMA is overseen by the EU Commission, which has the power to investigate, verify and approve (or reject) the standards that Apple sets for privacy, security, and app stores themselves. The Commission should anticipate and fund the regulators needed to manage these tasks quickly, thoroughly and efficiently.

Finally, Europeans shouldn’t have all the fun. If Apple can do this for Europeans, it can do it for every Apple device owner. If you bought an Ios device, it’s yours, not Apple’s, and you should have the right to technological self determination that Europeans get when it comes to deciding which software it runs.

Image: Electronic Frontier Foundation https://www.eff.org/files/banner_library/eu-flag-11.png

CC BY 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/

[Image ID: An EU flag. The blue background has a fine tracery of etched circuitry.]

[nerdjourney]

Library Science: Information Architecture and the Synthesis of Details with Abby Clobridge (1/2)

Abby Clobridge pursued a degree in library science but never worked behind a circulation desk. In fact, she did information architecture and worked on natural language processing before it was cool. #research

What do you think the following jobs have in common? The answer will give you a hint about our guest this week! Doing statistical work for a market research firm Conducting research for a popular news network Architecting information flow and query optimization for websites Leading digitization initiatives for a university Becoming a consultant Owning a business Abby Clobridge, our guest in…

[maquilanews]

Aumenta el fraude bancario en Latinoamérica con el auge de la banca digital

La implementación de medidas adecuadas podría ahorrar hasta $65 mil millones en estafas. Los usuarios demandan mayor seguridad y personalización en sus transacciones digitales con los bancos.

CIUDAD DE MÉXICO.- En Latinoamérica, a medida que la banca digital adquiere protagonismo, muchos bancos tradicionales se enfrentan a la difícil tarea de hacer frente a los fraudes, debido a que las transacciones en línea generan un entorno propicio para que los delincuentes operen. En la región, Brasil es el país con mayor número de víctimas de fraude bancario, seguido por México, Colombia y…

[bonita-blogs]

Role and importance of licensed drug distributors in the USA

Introduction:

In the complex landscape of healthcare, the seamless supply of medications is crucial for maintaining patient care and public health. Licensed wholesale drug distributors like Bonita Pharmaceuticals serve as the backbone of this system, ensuring that essential medications reach pharmacies, hospitals, and healthcare providers promptly and safely. This blog delves into the critical role of licensed wholesale drug distributors in the #USA, highlighting the stringent regulatory standards they uphold and the exceptional services provided by Bonita Pharmaceutical.

The Vital Role of Licensed Wholesale Drug Distributors:

A licensed wholesale drug distributor acts as an intermediary between pharmaceutical manufacturers and various #healthcare entities. This role is essential for maintaining the integrity and availability of medications across the healthcare system. Distributors like #BonitaPharmaceuticals are responsible for:

Ensuring Drug Availability: Licensed distributors ensure that a wide range of medications, including brand-name and generic drugs, are readily available to meet the diverse needs of #healthcare providers and patients.

Maintaining Quality and Safety: Distributors adhere to strict quality control measures to prevent contamination, degradation, and counterfeiting of medications. This includes proper storage conditions, handling procedures, and transportation protocols.

Regulatory Compliance: Operating as a #licensed distributor requires compliance with numerous federal and state regulations. This ensures that all activities, from procurement to distribution, meet the highest standards of safety and efficacy.

Regulatory Requirements for Licensing:

Obtaining and maintaining a license to operate as a wholesale drug distributor in the USA involves rigorous scrutiny and adherence to stringent regulations. Key requirements include:

FDA and DEA Compliance: Distributors must comply with guidelines set by the Food and Drug Administration (#FDA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), ensuring that medications are distributed safely and securely.

Good Distribution Practices (GDP): Adherence to #GDP guidelines ensure that pharmaceuticals are consistently stored, transported, and handled under optimal conditions, maintaining their quality and integrity.

Record-Keeping and Traceability: Accurate and comprehensive records of all transactions, including procurement, storage, and distribution, are mandatory. This facilitates traceability and accountability, essential for recalls and regulatory audits.

Security Measures: Robust security protocols are required to prevent theft, diversion, and unauthorized access to controlled substances and sensitive pharmaceutical products.

Bonita Pharmaceuticals: Leading the Way in Compliance and Quality

Bonita Pharmaceuticals exemplifies excellence in the pharmaceutical distribution industry through its unwavering commitment to quality, safety, and regulatory compliance. Here’s how we stand out:

Comprehensive Distribution Network: Our strategically located distribution centers across the #USA enable efficient and timely delivery of #medications, ensuring that healthcare providers can rely on a steady supply of essential drugs.

Advanced Logistics and Inventory Management: Utilizing cutting-edge technology, we maintain accurate inventory levels, track shipments in #real-time, and ensure that our clients receive their orders accurately and on schedule.

Quality Assurance: We source our medications from reputable manufacturers and conduct thorough inspections to verify their authenticity and compliance with regulatory standards. Our facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art storage solutions, including temperature-controlled environments.

Customer-Centric Approach: At Bonita Pharmaceuticals, customer satisfaction is paramount. Our dedicated customer support team is always available to assist with orders, provide product information, and address any concerns, ensuring a seamless experience for our clients.

Commitment to Sustainability: We are committed to sustainable practices in our operations, including eco-friendly packaging, energy-efficient facilities, and minimizing our carbon footprint.

Conclusion:

Licensed wholesale drug distributors play a pivotal role in the healthcare ecosystem by ensuring the safe and efficient distribution of medications. Bonita Pharmaceuticals stands out as a leader in this field, exemplifying excellence in regulatory compliance, quality assurance, and customer service. By partnering with Bonita Pharmaceuticals, healthcare providers can be confident in the reliability, safety, and efficiency of their medication supply, ultimately enhancing patient care and outcomes.

#DrugDistribution #PharmaceuticalCompliance #MedicationSafety #WholesaleDistributors #HealthcareLogistics #FDACompliance #PharmaceuticalQuality #MedicationSupply #DrugSecurity #BonitaPharmaceuticals