SEBI BECOMES THE AUTHORISED AGENT UNDER THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACT

The Government of India, vide its Notification dated December 8, 2025, notified the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) as the authorised agency under Section 79 (3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 read with Rule 3 (1)(d) of the Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

By virtue of this Notification, SEBI is, inter-alia, empowered to:

• Direct intermediaries and social media platforms (such as YouTube, Instagram, X, Telegram, etc.) to take down or disable access to unlawful or misleading investment-related content, including unregistered investment advice, tips, or stock recommendations.
• Order removal of content promoting illegal or unregulated investment schemes, fake trading platforms, or entities impersonating SEBI-registered intermediaries.
• Act against finfluencers and digital publishers disseminating securities related content that is deceptive, manipulative, harmful to investors and/or in violation of SEBI regulations.
• Issue binding takedown directions without Court intervention, thus taking swift preventive actions to curb harm.
• Strengthen investor protection in the digital space, especially against cyber financial frauds and misleading social media campaigns.

This Notification was much needed to enable SEBI to comprehensively regulate and cleanse digital spaces where securities related misinformation and illegal investment activities increasingly thrive.

The official Gazette Notification is accessible here.