Social-Media Registration Disclosure for Securities Intermediaries: Profile, Content and Record Controls
By Ravi Sisodia · Reviewed by CA Divyanshu Sengar · Updated 5 October 2026
SEBI's 26 February 2026 circular requires regulated entities and their agents to make registration identity visible on securities-market social content. Compliance must cover profiles, each relevant content item, multiple registrations, agents and archived proof.
Finin2min 2-Minute Summary
- The February 2026 circular is operative, not a consultation.
- SEBI-regulated entities and agents must prominently disclose the registered name and registration number on relevant social-media profiles/content as prescribed.
- The circular expressly covers platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, X, LinkedIn, Threads, Telegram and Reddit.
- Entities with multiple SEBI registrations need a controlled method to show the capacity in which content is issued.
- Content approval and archive should preserve the published version and disclosure placement.
Profile disclosure and content disclosure are separate controls
Do not assume registration details in the bio alone satisfy every content-level requirement. The circular calls for disclosure on the home page and at the beginning of relevant videos/content, with specific handling for single versus multiple registrations.
Create platform-specific templates because character limits and video formats differ.
Agents and distributors are in scope of governance
Where the regulated entity uses an agent/distributor, contract terms should require compliant identity disclosure and content approval/monitoring. The entity should keep a current list of authorised handles rather than discover them only after a complaint.
Impersonation should be escalated separately; compliant disclosure helps investors distinguish genuine handles.
Archive what the public actually saw
Save screenshot/video copy, caption, date, handle, registration identity and approver. Editing a social post later can otherwise destroy proof of the original disclosure.
Track deleted content too where it was live for a material period.
Multiple-registration social-media case
A financial group may hold separate IA, RA and broker registrations. A video analysing a stock could be issued in the RA capacity, while another post describes brokerage execution. The February circular requires the content to identify the relevant regulated name/number/capacity rather than leaving the audience to infer it from a group homepage.
Build a content-tagging workflow in which the creator selects the regulated capacity before compliance approval. The publishing tool can then insert the correct registration disclosure automatically and reduce manual errors.
- Tag regulated capacity before content approval.
- Automate registration disclosure where possible.
- Audit random published posts against the approval record.
Employee and agency training
Social-media compliance fails when central marketing follows the rule but branch staff, distributors or agency creators publish independently. Maintain a short mandatory training module with examples of compliant profile and content disclosures, and periodically search for unauthorised handles using the brand or employee names.
- Train employees and agents with real examples.
- Search for unauthorised/impersonating handles.
Social-media compliance checklist
- Official handle inventory.
- Registered name/number profile disclosure.
- Content-opening disclosure.
- Multiple-registration capacity mapping.
- Agent/distributor controls.
- Approval and publication archive.
- Impersonation monitoring/escalation.
Questions readers commonly ask
Is the February circular already effective?
Yes. It is an operative SEBI circular.
Does it apply only to public YouTube videos?
No. The circular defines a broad set of social-media platforms, including closed/public groups in its scope language.
What if an entity has multiple registrations?
Use the circular's differentiated disclosure method and identify the capacity relevant to the content.
Why archive screenshots?
They prove what disclosure was actually visible when content was published.
Official / primary sources
- SEBI Social Media Disclosure Circular - 26 February 2026 operative circular
Disclaimer
Important: General educational and professional-reference material. Verify the current operative regulation/circular, portal version and exact facts before acting. Consultation papers are proposals unless a later operative instrument adopts them. Educational and professional reference only; confirm the current law, rates and the facts of your case before relying on this page.