Remarks to the 2023 Conference on SEC Regulation Outside the United States: Fifth Annual Scott Friestad Memorial Lecture — SEC Commissioner Mark T. Uyeda

However, enforcement actions are not subject to notice and comment. The only individuals involved in the discussions are the enforcement staff, the defendants, and their counsel. The language of enforcement orders is negotiated among them, and the full context of those discussions may not be included. While some may view an order as providing guidance on the SEC’s views, it may be difficult to ascertain how the order might apply to other situations as it is limited in scope to the facts and circumstances of the specific case. Thus, using enforcement actions as a method to set regulatory policy means that the public is denied a chance to provide input.

Today, I want to discuss three areas where insufficient clarity may result in a lack of understanding, and potentially fair notice, of novel interpretations that the SEC has undertaken in recent enforcement actions. These areas are: (1) the scope of the definition of a dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; (2) cryptocurrencies; and (3) off-channel communications by broker-dealers.

Source: Remarks to the 2023 Conference on SEC Regulation Outside the United States: Fifth Annual Scott Friestad Memorial Lecture– SEC Commissioner Mark T. Uyeda