WhatsApp has over 3 billion users, making it one of the most comfortable ways to reach a client and a default tool in BYOD workplaces. However, this poses major compliance risks; since 2021, the SEC has ordered banks to pay over $2 billion in fines for noncompliance over e-communications.
While widely used, WhatsApp is simply not built for recordkeeping or auditability. Many companies try to ban non-compliant messaging, but text bans simply don’t work It’s much more comfortable for employees to meet their clients where they are.
WhatsApp Banking Overview
Since clients expect quick, mobile-first communication, employees are already using WhatsApp whether it is sanctioned or not. This leads to a dangerous gap: if organizations don’t offer compliant tools that align with how people actually work, they risk being blindsided by off-channel communications that are invisible to compliance teams.
Regulators are finally holding firms accountable. The problem isn’t necessarily that WhatsApp is being used; it’s that many organizations haven’t yet implemented a clear, enforceable method for retaining and supervising WhatsApp conversations at scale. Traditional compliance infrastructures were built around email and corporate phones – not encrypted messaging apps running on personal devices. While bans feel like a fix, they more often drive non-compliant conversations underground, making them even harder to track.
This is especially risky in regulated industries like finance, insurance, and legal services, where firms are required to maintain full records of client-facing communications. Regulatory bodies such as the SEC, FINRA, and FCA make no exceptions for how or where those communications happen. If business is being conducted, it must be recorded. That includes mobile messages, WhatsApp chats, and voice notes sent from personal devices. Ignorance or inaction is no longer a viable excuse.
The core issue is visibility. Without a mechanism to capture and archive WhatsApp conversations, businesses lose the ability to supervise interactions, respond to audits, and enforce policies. The result? Increased exposure to regulatory fines, legal risk, and reputational damage. No firm wants to end up with their name in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
But what if there was a way to ensure WhatsApp compliance?
There’s a reason the 30 largest banks in the world are able to compliantly communicate with their clients over WhatsApp. The solution lies in the astonishingly simple task of modernizing communication frameworks to support compliant WhatsApp use. This means finding technology that allows you to permit texting, but capture it, in real time, for compliance.
How to Record WhatsApp calls
It’s not about banning WhatsApp. It’s about enabling it compliantly. One proven solution is MultiLine™ by Movius. MultiLine makes it possible to archive WhatsApp messages in real time, separate personal and professional use, and integrate with other platforms like Teams and SMS.
MultiLine™ is incredibly simple to use, with a sleek UI which mimics the native dialer. With MultiLine, you can message client’s WhatsApp from directly inside the app – you only need a network or Wi-Fi connection. Your personal WhatsApp remains untouched and invisible to the business, keeping a strict separation between personal and business personas. Once WhatsApp recording is turned on, it happens automatically on a level completely invisible to each end user – meaning there is no disruption of the user experience.
MultiLine also integrates directly with all leading archival platforms, integrating easily into your current workflows. All communication data is captured and safely stored where you have all your other data. It’s an FCA compliance guarantee in a box, with no gaps in record-keeping. Most of the biggest banks in the world are already using MultiLine to ensure secure and compliant communications over their mobile phones, whether it’s a corporate liable device or a personal device. It’s what we’re calling SCaaS™ (Secure Communications as a Servce)
Secure Banking on WhatsApp
MultiLine allows teams to meet clients where they are, while meeting regulatory obligations without compromise. Additionally, with MultiLine, businesses retain control over employees’ numbers and contacts. This means that when an employee leaves, they’re not taking all their contacts—those connections stay with the business.
WhatsApp Messaging Compliance
In a mobile-first world, compliance isn’t about control. It’s about visibility, flexibility, and giving your teams the tools to do things right.