# Financial Conduct Authority

Type: Company

Source: Legal & RegTech Intelligence Brief — https://getlegalbrief.com/entity/financial-conduct-authority
Canonical HTML page: https://getlegalbrief.com/entity/financial-conduct-authority

## Timeline

- **2026-03-18**: Findings Released — FCA reports 1,052 instances of illegal financial ads bypassing Meta's filters in a single week.
- **2026-03-17**: Mass Layoffs Announced — Close Brothers confirms plans to cut nearly a quarter of its workforce to preserve capital.
- **2025-11-15**: FCA Monitoring Period — The regulator conducts a one-week audit of financial ads appearing on Meta's platforms.
- **2024-10-25**: Landmark Court Ruling — The Court of Appeal rules in favor of consumers, stating commissions must be fully disclosed and consented to.
- **2024-01-11**: FCA Review Launched — The FCA announces a formal review into historical motor finance commission arrangements.
- **2022-08-01**: Meta's Policy Shift — Meta commits to requiring FCA authorization for all financial services advertisers in the UK.
- **2021-01-28**: FCA Commission Ban — The Financial Conduct Authority bans Discretionary Commission Arrangements (DCAs) in motor finance.

## Recent coverage (2 stories)

### Meta's UK Ad Safeguards Falter: 1,000+ Illegal Financial Ads Bypass Filters
2026-03-18 07:53:00 · Sentiment: Bearish · Impact: 6/10 · Sources: 2

Meta has failed to uphold its commitment to the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to block unauthorized financial advertisements, with over 1,052 illegal ads appearing in a single week. This breach highlights significant gaps in Meta's automated moderation systems and raises the prospect of severe regulatory penalties under the UK's Online Safety Act.
Full story: https://getlegalbrief.com/story/meta-fca-illegal-financial-ads-breach

### Close Brothers to Cut 25% of Staff Amid Motor Finance Legal Fallout
2026-03-17 09:02:39 · Sentiment: Bearish · Impact: 6/10 · Sources: 7

Close Brothers has announced plans to reduce its workforce by nearly 25% as it grapples with the financial and operational aftermath of the UK car finance commission scandal. The move follows a landmark Court of Appeal ruling that has significantly increased potential liabilities for lenders involved in non-disclosed commission arrangements.
Full story: https://getlegalbrief.com/story/close-brothers-layoffs-motor-finance-scandal

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