FDATA in the News

Steve was quoted in Fintech Futures discussing the key building blocks needed for Canada’s open banking framework to succeed. He emphasized that clear API standards and proportionate, tiered accreditation will be critical to ensuring the ecosystem supports innovation and competition rather than consolidating control among a small number of large players. Steve also noted that transitioning from screen scraping to secure API-based data sharing will improve security while giving consumers greater control over their financial data.

Steve was featured on the Fintech Takes podcast alongside former CFPB official Dan Murphy to discuss how Canada has quietly leapfrogged the U.S. on open banking regulation. The conversation explores how Canada learned from global missteps—including U.S. litigation and implementation gaps—to build a more deliberate, comprehensive framework that could make it the most advanced open banking regime by 2026. Steve and Dan also unpack how market structure, liability design, and write access factor into Canada’s approach to open finance reform.

Steve was featured in FinTech Weekly for his op-ed on how open finance and Section 1033 can strengthen competition, expand financial inclusion, and support sustainable fintech growth in the U.S. He argues that enforceable consumer data rights are essential to lowering switching costs and shifting competition away from data control toward better prices, products, and services. The piece highlights Section 1033 as a generational opportunity to make consumer choice and competition work as intended in financial services.

Steve was featured in Fintech One-on-One, where he discussed consumer data rights, open banking, and the intent of Section 1033. He explained why consumer-permissioned data access should be free from fees or friction and raised concerns about how bank-imposed charges can distort competition.

Steve was featured in the Open Banker with a new analysis examining the risks of financial and technology regulatory fragmentation in the United States. The piece explores how state-by-state approaches to data privacy, digital assets, and AI are reshaping U.S. financial markets at a critical moment for global competition. It argues that without greater coordination, regulatory Balkanization could undermine interoperability, innovation, and U.S. leadership on the world stage.

Steve was featured in the Toronto Sun, where he argued that privacy is strongest when consumers are active participants with the ability to see, control, and direct their own financial data. The piece makes the case that Canada’s Consumer-Driven Banking Act should be implemented swiftly to move consumers from passive data subjects to empowered market participants through secure, consumer-permissioned data access.

Steve was featured in Electronic Payments International, where he highlighted Canada’s plan to pair real-time payments with a comprehensive open banking regime under Bank of Canada supervision. He noted that aligning the Real-Time Rail with open banking reflects models used successfully in the UK and Europe. Steve emphasized that this approach has the potential to significantly enhance competition and innovation across Canada’s financial services market.

Steve was featured on Marketplace Morning Report discussing why the CFPB’s Open Banking Rule is now in limbo. He explained how the rule gives consumers the ability to share their financial data with apps they choose. Rolling it back could limit choice and increase costs for everyday financial tools.

Steve was featured in The Canadian Press highlighting that Canada’s move toward consumer-driven banking is not just open banking, but a broader open finance framework that includes investments and mortgages. He noted that current political alignment and a strong push for competition make this effort feel meaningfully different from past attempts, with Canada positioned to go further than many other countries.