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Global Relay’s Industry Insights: Compliant Communications Report 2025 breaks this all down, based on insights from a survey of hundreds of compliance and surveillance professionals. 

AI adoption

According to the report findings, EMEA has shown a clear appetite for AI in compliance workflows, where 71.4 per cent of firms are planning to introduce AI within the next 12 months, with around one third already using it. This can perhaps be attributed to regulatory confidence, as with regulation such as the EU AI Act firms are encouraged to experiment with and implement AI within the boundaries of a clear regulatory framework. 

In contrast, North American firms are showing a clear hesitation towards AI adoption. Over 56 per cent of firms say they have no plans to implement AI in compliance workflows in the near future. Despite evolving guidance from regulators like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which is seemingly shifting towards a technology neutral approach aimed at supporting AI innovation, firms remain reluctant to break from traditional methods. As Global Relay’s Vice President of Compliance Supervision, Donald McElligott explains: 

“Recent technological advances in AI are moving the needle quickly when it comes to adoption, although AI technologies are still generally perceived as difficult, expensive, and only marginally effective for risk detection use cases.”

There are clearly a multitude of factors affecting AI adoption in North America, however, given the change in stance by the SEC these numbers may change through 2026.

Banning and blocking channels

The report identified that more than 40 per cent of respondents continue to ban communication channels such as WhatsApp and WeChat. However, when split regionally, 50.6 per cent of North American firms believe banning communications channels is a practical compliance strategy, compared to only 31.7 per cent of EMEA respondents. 

EMEA firms are significantly more likely to enable and monitor channels rather than block them, with over half of EMEA organizations enabling all comms channels and monitoring them, compared to just over a third in North America. Where channel bans seem to be a blanket solution, Global Relay’s Chief Strategy Officer, Alex Viall states: 

 “Many employees within these firms may not be complying with these bans, placing them at high risk of an off-channel communications enforcement action. Those that are complying are probably doing less business than their peers as they cannot use the preferred methods of communications that their clients – and the market – demand.”

While North American firms may be sticking with bans as a reaction to regulators pursuing  a hard-line enforcement stance on off-channel comms, channel bans are not a watertight compliance solution, as there are clear work arounds that employees will pursue. Instead, firms must look for a comprehensive governance framework which permits the use of all communications channels, but includes monitoring and supervision to identify potential risks.

A clear divide

The report suggests that North American firms may be opting for a simpler, more conservative approach towards AI and channel bans, and, while this may seem lower risk, employees go rogue, and AI empowers surveillance teams in a way that traditional tech does not. EMEA, on the other hand, is emboldened by shifting regulation and proven communications compliance technologies. The divide between the regions is more than geography - it’s in their strategy around compliance, attitudes towards risk, regulatory history, and appetite to onboard evolving technologies.