SEBI MANDATES DISCLOSURE OF REGISTRATION DETAILS BY REGULATED ENTITIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

SEBI vide its circular dated 26 February 2026 (Circular No.: HO/(79)2026-MIRSD-PODMMC) (“Circular”) has introduced disclosure requirements for SEBI-regulated entities and their agents while posting securities market related content on Social Media Platforms (“SMPs”). The Circular forms part of SEBI’s Ease of Doing Investment (EoDI) initiative and seeks to enhance transparency by enabling investors to clearly identify content published by authorised market participants.

Background

With the increasing use of SMPs such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, X, LinkedIn and Telegram for dissemination of securities market related information, SEBI has noted the need to distinguish content published by persons regulated by SEBI (“Regulated Entities”) and their agents from that uploaded by unregistered persons. To address this, the Circular mandates disclosures that allow investors to identify whether such content originates from a SEBI-registered intermediary.

Mandatory Disclosures

Regulated Entities and their agents are required to prominently disclose their registered name and registration number:

1. on the home page of their social media handles; and

2. at the beginning of each video or content relating to the securities market that is uploaded on such platforms.

Entities with Multiple Registrations

If a Regulated Entity holds multiple SEBI registrations, it is required to provide a weblink on the home page of its social media handle directing users to its website listing all SEBI registered names and registration numbers. However, at the beginning of each content, the entity must disclose the registered name and registration number corresponding to the specific capacity in which the content is being published.

Agents of Regulated Entities

Where content is published by agents of Regulated Entities (such as mutual fund distributors or distributors of portfolio management services), the disclosure must include the SEBI registered name and registration number of the principal entity which is to be followed by the registered name and registration number of the agent.

Applicability

The provisions of the Circular will become applicable to all securities market related content uploaded on or after 1 May 2026.

Conclusion

The Circular strengthens transparency in securities market communications on social media by ensuring that investors can easily identify content originating from SEBI-registered intermediaries. This measure is intended to improve investor confidence and curb the risk of misleading or unauthorised market-related content on digital platforms.