FFIEC Issues Final Guidance On Social Media Usage By Financial Institutions

On December 11, 2013, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) issued final guidance for financial institutions relating to their use of social media (the "Guidance").  With its release, the FFIEC adopts its January 2013 proposed guidance in substantially the same form.  (Socially Aware's overview of the proposed guidance is available here.)

Financial institutions should expect that the federal banking agencies, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and National Credit Union Administration (the agencies that comprise the FFIEC) will require supervised institutions to incorporate the Guidance into their efforts to address risks associated with the use of social media and to ensure that institutional risk management programs provide effective oversight and controls related to such use.  As a result, financial institutions should consider the appropriateness of their social media risk management programs and should be cognizant of potential