UBS has become the latest bank to ban traders from using multi-dealer and social chat rooms, which are being trawled by regulators for evidence of market manipulation.
In an internal memo from UBS's executive committee, seen by Bloomberg, employees at the investment banking division have been told that "all social related chat rooms are prohibited and must be closed immediately".
The ban also applies to multi-bank and dealer chat rooms, with requests for exceptions having to be approved by the executive committee member and compliance officer responsible for the specific business.
According to the FT, Barclays, RBS and Citigroup have all already banned chat rooms, while JPMorgan is reportedly mulling whether to follow suit.
Logs of chats between traders on Bloomberg terminals and Thomson Reuters desktops have formed a central plank of investigations into the Libor fixing scandal and the latest allegations of foreign exchange rates manipulation.
"Recent events within our industry serve as a serious reminder to be mindful at all times to use appropriate language and behavioral standards in all of our communication, no matter the channel," says the UBS memo.
The bank warns traders that it has "extensive monitoring" in place to "identify data leakage or misuse of electronic communication" and that failure to stick to the rules will be a sackable offence.