Regulators struggle to keep up with market technology

The May 6 "flash crash" differs from other famous market plunges in that it appears to have been triggered by a computer glitch rather than human panic. Experts warned regulators that such a crash was possible, but the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulatory organizations are not thought to have the ability to detect or avoid these types of situations. SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro has said "the technology for collecting data and surveilling our markets is ... as much as two decades behind the technology currently used by those we regulate."

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