Description

SEBI circular requiring all regulated entities and their agents to prominently disclose their registered name and registration number on social media platforms when posting securities market content, effective under the Ease of Doing Investment initiative.

Summary

SEBI has issued circular HO/(79)2026-MIRSD-PODMMC dated February 26, 2026, under the Ease of Doing Investment (EoDI) initiative, mandating that all SEBI-regulated entities and their agents disclose their registered name and SEBI registration number on Social Media Platforms (SMPs) when posting content related to the securities market. The measure aims to help investors distinguish content from registered entities versus unregistered persons.

Key Points

  • All SEBI-regulated intermediaries must prominently display their registered name and registration number on the home page of their social media handles
  • Disclosures must also appear at the beginning of each video/content piece related to the securities market uploaded on SMPs
  • Covered platforms include YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, Threads, Telegram, Reddit, and others
  • Content in both closed groups and publicly available groups is covered
  • Entities with a single SEBI registration must state the registered name and registration number directly on the SMP handle home page
  • Entities with multiple SEBI registrations must provide a weblink on the home page directing to a page listing all registrations; each individual video must disclose the specific registration relevant to the content being posted
  • Agents of regulated entities (e.g., mutual fund distributors, PMS distributors) are also required to comply with these disclosure requirements

Regulatory Changes

  • New compliance obligation introduced under Section 12 of the SEBI Act, 1992 and respective regulations’ code of conduct
  • ‘Persons regulated by the Board’ is defined with reference to Chapter IIIA – Explanation 1 of Regulation 16A of SEBI (Intermediaries) Regulations, 2008
  • This circular extends existing code of conduct requirements into the social media domain, formalising disclosure norms for digital content

Compliance Requirements

  • Stock Brokers (SBs): Display SEBI registration on all social media handles and at start of each securities-related content upload
  • Depository Participants (DPs): Same as above
  • Registrar to Issue and Share Transfer Agents (RTAs): Same as above
  • Investment Advisers (IAs): Same as above
  • Research Analysts (RAs): Same as above
  • Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs), REITs, SMREITs: Same as above
  • Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs): Same as above
  • Portfolio Managers (PMs) / APMI: Same as above
  • Collective Investment Schemes (CIS): Same as above
  • Mutual Funds / AMCs / AMFI: Same as above
  • Agents of regulated entities (e.g., MF distributors, PMS distributors): Must disclose their own registration details on their social media handles and in content uploaded
  • Entities with multiple registrations must maintain a web page listing all SEBI registrations and link to it from each SMP handle

Important Dates

  • Circular date: February 26, 2026
  • Effective date: Not explicitly stated in the available extract; entities should refer to the full circular for implementation timelines

Impact Assessment

This circular has a broad but operationally manageable impact across the SEBI-regulated ecosystem. Any intermediary or their agent that maintains a social media presence for securities market content must update their profile pages and content production workflows to include mandatory disclosures. The measure enhances investor protection by making it easier to verify the regulatory status of content creators in the securities space. There is no direct market or price impact, but non-compliance could attract regulatory action. The requirement to display disclosures at the beginning of every video/content piece may necessitate changes to content templates and production processes for active social media users such as research analysts, investment advisers, and mutual fund houses.

Impact Justification

Broad compliance requirement affecting all SEBI-regulated entities active on social media. No immediate market or price impact, but operationally significant for a wide range of intermediaries including brokers, IAs, RAs, MFs, and AIFs.