Actiance Introduces First Compliance and Archiving Solution for WeChat and WhatsApp

Enables firms to meet oversight and retention obligations for content on the latest global encrypted messaging platforms Actiance today announced support for the capture of encrypted messaging platforms WeChat and WhatsApp via Socialite ─ its platform for compliance across public social media channels. Organizations can now leverage two of the world’s most popular social platforms while remaining compliant with U.S. and international communications regulations. For more information on Socialite for WeChat and WhatsApp Encrypted Messaging apps, click here. “New encrypted messaging apps like WeChat and WhatsApp are growing in popularity at a remarkable rate, but are also notoriously difficult to manage for compliance due to the lack of public APIs and the use of end-to-end encryption,” said Scott Whitney, SVP Product Management, Actiance. “Therefore, many organizations are attempting to ban use of these communications tools, and missing out on productivity benefits as well as the crucial ability to engage with customers through the platform of their choice.” According to Actiance, new functionality automates the capture and archiving of these channels, greatly simplifying compliance with global regulations. Actiance Socialite gives companies that use tools such as WeChat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other popular mediums:

• Real-time capture for all social communications, including posts, messages, comments, file attachments and any modifications made to social activities
• The ability to preserve data in-context, including not just the messages but the comments, attachments, and any modifications as complete threads
• The ability to create and manage unified user identities across different social channels
• The ability to deliver WeChat and WhatsApp content to Actiance Alcatraz or other email archives for supervision, search and review

Navigating social media in an increasingly tight regulatory environment Regulatory guidance is becoming more explicit in mandating that firms gain control over all communications sources used for business purposes. For example:

• FINRA Notice 17-18: Every firm that communicates through a messaging app must first ensure that it can retain records of those communications
• MiFID II Article 16: Firms must take all reasonable steps to avoid communications over channels that cannot be captured
• FDA Social Guidance: A firm is responsible for the content generated by an employee or agent who is acting on its behalf
• HIPAA Data Privacy Rule: Firms must protect all individually identifiable health information held or transmitted by a covered entity or its business associate, in any form

Socialite enables companies to move beyond screen captures and backups to provide a defensible, automated method to capture WeChat and WhatsApp content – including emojis and photos – ensuring that it remains intact and reviewable in its original form. Global Content Capture for International Customer Bases WhatsApp and WeChat’s popularity extends beyond the United States, averaging 1.3 billion and 889 million monthly active users, respectively. Additional Information Read the Actiance blog on WeChat and WhatsApp: https://www.actiance.com/blog/whatsapp-wechat-business-not-just-kid-stuff-anymore/