Sebi Mandates Social Media Disclosures for Market Entities from May 1

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has directed all entities regulated by it to prominently display their registered name and registration number on social media when sharing securities market-related content. The directive, which comes into force on May 1, applies to stock brokers, portfolio managers, mutual funds, and intermediaries such as distributors and agents.

According to the regulator, the move is intended to help investors clearly distinguish between content issued by authorized, regulated entities and that published by unregistered or unregulated players on social media. The requirement covers all types of material — including videos, text posts, and other communications — shared on both public platforms and closed or semi-closed groups across YouTube, Telegram, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, X, LinkedIn, Reddit, and Threads.

Sebi said regulated entities and their agents must display these details on their social media home pages and at the beginning of each securities-related post or video. Entities with multiple registrations must also provide a link to a webpage listing all their Sebi registrations, while clearly specifying the particular registration under which the content is being published. The regulator noted that the measure follows enforcement actions against social media-driven stock manipulation and pump-and-dump schemes, and aims to enable investors to make more informed decisions.

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