Our operations are subject to federal, state and local laws, statutes, rules, regulations, policies and procedures in the United States and around the world, which are subject to change at any time, governing matters such as:
- licensing laws for talent agencies, such as California's Talent Agencies Act; - health, safety and sanitation requirements; - harassment and discrimination, and other labor and employment laws and regulations; - compliance with the U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; - compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (the "FCPA") and similar regulations in other countries, which prohibit U.S. companies and their intermediaries from engaging in bribery or other prohibited payments to foreign officials and require companies to keep books and records that accurately and fairly reflect the transactions of the Company and to maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls; - compliance with applicable antitrust and fair competition laws; - compliance with international trade controls, including applicable import/export regulations, and sanctions and international embargoes that may limit or restrict our ability to do business with specific individuals or entities or in specific countries or territories; - compliance with anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing rules, currency control regulations, and statutes prohibiting tax evasion and the aiding or abetting of tax evasion; - marketing activities; - compliance with current and future privacy and data protection laws imposing requirements for the processing and protection of personal or sensitive information, including the GDPR and the E.U. e-Privacy Regulation; - compliance with cybersecurity laws imposing country-specific requirements relating to information systems and network design, security, operations, and use; - compliance with laws or regulations that regulate the content contained within videos, games and other content formats created by our influencers; - tax laws; and - imposition by foreign countries of trade restrictions, restrictions on the manner in which content is currently licensed and distributed or ownership restrictions.
Noncompliance with these laws could subject us to whistleblower complaints, investigations, sanctions, settlements, prosecution, other enforcement actions, disgorgement of profits, significant fines, damages, other civil and criminal penalties or injunctions, reputational harm, adverse media coverage, and other collateral consequences. Multiple or repeated failures by us to comply with these laws and regulations could result in increased fines or proceedings against us. If any subpoenas or investigations are launched, or governmental or other sanctions are imposed, or if we do not prevail in any possible civil or criminal litigation, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially harmed. In addition, responding to any action will likely result in a materially significant diversion of management's attention and resources and significant defense costs and other professional fees. Enforcement actions and sanctions could further harm our business, results of operations and financial condition. While we attempt to conduct our business and operations in a manner that we believe to be in compliance with such laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that a law or regulation will not be interpreted or enforced in a manner contrary to our current understanding. In addition, the promulgation of new laws, rules and regulations could restrict or unfavorably impact our business, which could decrease demand for our services, reduce revenue, increase costs or subject us to additional liabilities.
In some United States and foreign jurisdictions, we may have direct and indirect interactions with government agencies and state-affiliated entities in the ordinary course of our business. In the event that we fail to comply with the regulations of a particular jurisdiction, whether through our acts or omissions or those of third parties, we may be prohibited from operating in those jurisdictions, which could lead to a decline in various revenue streams in such jurisdictions, and could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are also required to comply with economic sanctions laws imposed by the United States or by other jurisdictions where we do business, which may restrict our transactions in certain markets, and with certain customers, business partners and other persons and entities. As a result, we are not permitted to, directly or indirectly (including through a third party intermediary), procure goods, services, or technology from, or engage in transactions with, individuals and entities subject to sanctions. While we believe we have been in compliance with sanctions requirements, there can be no guarantee that we will remain in compliance. Any violation of corruption or sanctions laws could result in fines, civil and criminal sanctions against us or our employees, prohibitions on the conduct of our business (e.g., debarment from doing business with International Development Banks and similar organizations) and damage to our reputation, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.