Channel Bans Reach Four-Year High as Financial Services Firms Reassess Communications Compliance Strategies, New Global Relay Report Finds
Two-thirds of firms now prohibit communications channels - the highest level recorded in four years of Global Relay research - even as AI adoption accelerates across the industry.
Global Relay, a leading provider of digital communications governance and archiving solutions for global financial services and other highly regulated industries, today shared the findings of its Industry Insights Report 2026, which examines how compliance professionals in financial services are navigating communications governance, AI adoption, and evolving regulatory expectations.
The report found 66% of financial services firms now ban communications channels, the highest percentage recorded in the survey's four-year history and a significant increase from 41% in 2025. The findings also reveal notable regional differences in how organizations approach communications compliance. In North America, channel bans increased from 39% in 2025 to 67% in 2026. Meanwhile, EMEA financial services firms remain more likely to allow, capture, and monitor communications channels (52%).
