Several brokerages, banks, and government bodies have moved to restrict staff access to OpenClaw after security concerns about the agent’s unusually high access to user devices.
OpenClaw is an open-source AI assistant that recently went viral in China.
At one major brokerage, the firm issued a risk warning banning OpenClaw from company computers and asked staff who had installed it to contact IT for removal.
Several employees at brokerages and banks said existing workplace controls already made installation technically impossible because office systems only allow company devices.
OpenClaw was released by Austrian developer Peter Steinberger late last year and can perform tasks such as organising and responding to emails, drafting reports, and preparing slide decks.
Originally written by: Naomi Li Gan
Source: Tech In Asia
Published on: 12 March 2026
Link to original article: OpenClaw AI banned at financial institutions over security worries
