Global Relay, a leading provider of end-to-end compliance solutions for highly regulated industries, has released the findings of its third annual Communication Capture Trends Report 2025. The report, informed by data from over 12,000 financial institutions exploring more than 200 communication channels, reveals significant shifts in communication and recordkeeping landscapes, driven by evolving workforces and regulatory focus.
The analysis indicates substantial increases in the capture of data from newer communication platforms between 2024 and 2025. The number of firms capturing ChatGPT data surged by nearly 3,000% year-over-year, with all of these firms located in North America. Data capture from TikTok saw an increase of over 2,000% year-on-year, and Apple Messages capture rose by 114%.
While newer channels gain traction, traditional business communication methods continue to be widely captured. Email remains the most captured channel, utilized by 89% of Global Relay’s sample accounts. LinkedIn Personal Accounts and Microsoft Teams each represent 23% of captured channels. The report suggests these shifts reflect firms’ responses to current regulatory themes and compliance challenges, indicating future priorities.
The increase in ChatGPT data capture, exclusively among North American firms, follows the U.
S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) expanded requirements for firms to capture all relevant business and communications data, including AI chatbot logs. Similarly, the 33% increase in firms capturing social channels, particularly TikTok data, comes after more than $2 million in fines were issued for SEC Marketing Rule violations in the past year. Furthermore, a 36% year-over-year increase in WhatsApp data capture, with 89% of those firms based in North America, points to ongoing concerns about off-channel communications risk following aggressive regulatory enforcement.
Ryan Sheridan, Global Relay Senior Manager of Regulatory Intelligence, commented on the findings, stating, “Compliance teams, and the firms they’re a part of, increasingly find themselves between the ‘rock’ of regulatory expectations and the ‘hard place’ of rapidly evolving technologies.” He added, “The last few years of regulatory enforcement have sunk in, and firms are clearly investing in compliance solutions in-line with regulatory focuses like off-channel communications and the SEC’s Marketing Rule.”
Sheridan also noted the geographical trend, “Given that it was U.
S. regulators setting the pace of these enforcements, it’s unsurprising to see North American firms are working to stay ahead of emerging channels like ChatGPT and TikTok and the risks they might present. While ‘traditional’ business-as-usual channels like email remain firmly in the mix, the data shows just how quickly compliance priorities can shift – and it will be very interesting to see how these results stack up compared to 2026’s.”
Global Relay, established in 1999, provides integrated compliance solutions to over 20,000 customers in 90 countries, including 22 of the top 25 banks. Its services span from compliant communications via the Global Relay App to intelligent archiving, data connectors, and proactive surveillance, enabling regulated organizations to meet collaboration, privacy, and security requirements.
