Surge in Firms Capturing ChatGPT, TikTok, and Apple Messages Highlights Shifting Compliance Priorities
In a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape, firms are increasingly prioritizing the capture of communications from emerging platforms such as ChatGPT, TikTok, and Apple® Messages. This trend underscores how high-profile regulatory enforcements are reshaping compliance investments and driving organizations to adapt to new recordkeeping risks. Global Relay, a leader in end-to-end compliance solutions for highly regulated industries, has unveiled these insights in its third annual Communication Capture Trends Report 2025. The report analyzes data from over 12,000 financial institutions and examines more than 200 communication channels, revealing significant shifts in how firms address compliance challenges.
Explosive Growth in Capturing Emerging Platforms
The report highlights staggering year-over-year increases in the number of firms capturing data from cutting-edge communication tools:
- ChatGPT: An almost 3,000% increase in the number of firms compliantly capturing ChatGPT interactions compared to 2024. Notably, 100% of these firms are based in North America, reflecting heightened regulatory scrutiny in the region.
- TikTok: A more than 2,000% surge in firms capturing TikTok data, driven by growing concerns about social media’s role in marketing and communications compliance.
- Apple® Messages: A 114% increase in firms capturing messages from Apple’s messaging platform, signaling ongoing efforts to mitigate off-channel communication risks.
While traditional business communication channels like email (captured by 89% of firms), LinkedIn Personal Accounts (23%), and Microsoft Teams (23%) remain dominant, the explosive growth in capturing data from newer platforms illustrates how regulatory pressures are influencing compliance priorities.
Regulatory Drivers Behind the Shifts
Several key regulatory themes have emerged as catalysts for these changes:
1. ChatGPT and DOJ Enforcement
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has expanded its requirements for firms to capture all relevant business communications, including logs from AI chatbots like ChatGPT. This enforcement push has prompted North American firms to prioritize capturing AI-generated content to ensure compliance with recordkeeping obligations. As regulators scrutinize the use of AI in business operations, firms are proactively addressing potential risks associated with AI-driven communications.
2. SEC Marketing Rule and Social Media
Regulatory bodies, particularly the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), have intensified their focus on marketing practices. In the past year alone, fines exceeding $2 million were issued for violations of the SEC’s Marketing Rule. As a result, 33% more firms are now capturing data from social media platforms, with TikTok seeing a particularly sharp rise. The platform’s growing influence as a marketing tool has made it a focal point for compliance teams aiming to avoid penalties.
3. WhatsApp and Off-Channel Communications
The fallout from previous WhatsApp-related fines continues to reverberate across industries. There has been a 36% year-over-year increase in firms capturing WhatsApp communications, with 89% of these firms located in North America. This uptick reflects ongoing concerns about off-channel communications and the need to ensure all business-related interactions are properly documented.
Navigating the “Rock” of Regulation and the “Hard Place” of Technology
“Compliance teams, and the firms they’re part of, increasingly find themselves between the ‘rock’ of regulatory expectations and the ‘hard place’ of rapidly evolving technologies,” says Ryan Sheridan, Senior Manager of Regulatory Intelligence at Global Relay. “The lessons from recent years of aggressive regulatory enforcement have sunk in, and firms are clearly investing in compliance solutions that align with current regulatory priorities, such as off-channel communications and the SEC’s Marketing Rule.”
North American firms, in particular, appear to be leading the charge in adopting compliance measures for emerging channels. Given that U.S. regulators have set the pace for enforcement actions, it’s unsurprising to see firms in this region taking proactive steps to address risks posed by platforms like ChatGPT and TikTok. However, while traditional channels like email remain central to compliance strategies, the data shows just how quickly priorities can shift in response to regulatory demands.
About Global Relay
Global Relay is a leading provider of end-to-end compliance solutions for the global financial sector and other highly regulated industries.
Founded in 1999, Global Relay delivers services to over 20,000 customers in 90 countries, including 22 of the top 25 banks. From the Global Relay App for compliant communications, through to intelligent archiving, superior data connectors, and proactive surveillance, Global Relay’s integrated compliance solutions enable regulated organizations to meet collaboration, privacy, and security requirements.
