The U.S. SEC is seeking public comments on the CAT audit tracking system, aiming to further balance regulatory costs and privacy security.

ME News Report, April 16 (UTC+8), according to the SEC official website announcement, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued a Concept Release, officially seeking public input on the future direction of the Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT) system. The solicitation covers CAT’s funding and cost management, regulatory objectives, architecture and governance, design and scope, as well as arrangements between CAT and other audit trail systems regarding cybersecurity and data privacy, and requests opinions on balancing privacy and confidentiality, citizen freedoms, and regulatory needs. The comment period for the concept document is 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins stated that this review aims to comprehensively evaluate CAT’s functions, governance, and funding sources, striving to maintain regulatory effectiveness while optimizing cost structure and strengthening civil rights protections. Previously, the SEC had reduced the projected operational costs of CAT by over $100 million within a year and permanently eliminated the reporting requirement for PII (Personally Identifiable Information). (Source: PANews)