COMPLIANCE

Why Compliance Matters

At AQL Insights, compliance isn’t just a legal requirement — it’s a core part of our identity and value proposition. In an industry where sensitive information, cross-border knowledge, and reputational risks are constantly at play, our commitment to compliance ensures safe, secure, and ethical expert engagements, no matter where our clients or experts are located. Our operations are structured under a U.S.-aligned LLC model, registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), and are governed by a broad multi-jurisdictional compliance framework that protects our clients, experts, and internal stakeholders across more than 25 countries.

Our Legal Framework

Data Protection & Privacy

1. GDPR (EU) – General Data Protection Regulation
2. CCPA/CPRA (California, USA) – California Consumer Privacy Rights Act
3. PIPL (China) – Personal Information Protection Law
4. APPI (Japan) – Act on Protection of Personal Information
5. PDPA (Singapore, Thailand, UAE, etc.) – Personal Data Protection Acts
6. Pakistan’s PECA & SECP Data Governance Guidelines
AQL Insights processes and stores client and expert data securely using end-to-end encryption, consent-based access, and geo-compliant hosting (EU/US/Asia clusters).

Anti-Corruption & Anti-Bribery

1. FCPA (USA) – Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
2. UK Bribery Act – Covers both passive and active bribery
3. Pakistan’s NAB and SECP AML/ATF Laws
We maintain strict anti-bribery protocols, apply conflict-of-interest checks on engagements, and reject any requests that suggest unethical incentives or influence.

Insider Trading & Market Abuse Safeguards

1. SEC Rules (USA) – Regulation FD, Rule 10b-5
2. MAR (EU) – Market Abuse Regulation
3. FCA Insider Guidance (UK) – Financial Conduct Authority
4. SECP Securities Regulations (Pakistan)
Our platform prohibits any use, solicitation, or distribution of material non-public information (MNPI) or forward-looking financial disclosures that are not public domain.

KYC, AML & BOI Reporting

1. KYC/AML (Global) – Customer due diligence and anti-money laundering
2. BOI (USA) – Beneficial Ownership Information reporting under the Corporate Transparency Act
3. Suspicious Activity Monitoring – Transactional red flags, source of funds vetting
4. Cross-border sanctions checks (OFAC, EU lists)
We verify expert identities, screen against global sanctions and PEP lists, and ensure that payments are made in compliance with local and international financial regulations.

Operational Compliance Workflow

For Experts

All experts are required to:
1. Pass Identity Verification – Including government ID, work history, and credentials.
2. Sign Legal Agreements – Including Master Expert Agreement, NDA, and Compliance Attestation.
3. Complete Training – Includes ethics, confidentiality, anti-insider policies, and real-world examples.
4. Disclose Conflicts – Pre-call conflict questionnaire required before each engagement.
5. Reaffirm Compliance Regularly – Experts are required to periodically reaffirm their awareness of compliance obligations.
6. Violations result in immediate termination from our network and permanent blacklisting.

For Clients

Before initiating any engagement, clients receive:
1. Pre-call Expert Disclosures – Current employment, restrictions, and compliance status.
2. NDA Options – Mutual NDAs or platform-level protections available.
3. Call Monitoring Features – Option to request transcripts, review summaries, and red-flag terms.
4. Custom Compliance Filters – Industry, region, or regulation-specific constraints built into expert selection.
5. Audit-Ready Documentation – Time-stamped logs of all interactions, compliance records, and contracts.
Clients may also choose to have bespoke onboarding workflows for internal legal/ethics approval.

Technology-Enabled Safeguards

1. Secure Infrastructure – Encrypted at rest and in transit, hosted on GDPR-compliant servers
2. AI-Powered Screening – Risk keywords, MNPI indicators, and sensitive topic tracking
3. Audit Trails – Immutable logs of all communications, document exchanges, and contracts
4. Platform Moderation – Live monitoring and content filtering during expert calls when required
5. Data Sovereignty – Region-specific data storage and automatic anonymization if applicable

Whistleblower Protection & Incident Response

We maintain a strict zero-retaliation policy for whistleblowers and offer a confidential reporting channel for any suspicious or unethical behavior related to:
1. Expert disclosures
2. Client inquiries
3. Insider trading concerns
4. Improper payments or facilitation requests
5. Data breaches or unauthorized disclosures