Following rising investor scam ads across social media platforms, Meta will now start requiring advertisers promoting investment and securities-related offerings to Indian users to submit a Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) registration number.
Meta’s announcement also states that if an advertiser is exempt from SEBI registration, they can choose “advertisers can choose alternative verification options, such as identity or business verification.” The verification information will also be shown with the ad and will be accessible via Meta’s ad library for up to seven years.
The verification process has already started rolling out on June 26 and is expected to be available to all eligible advertisers globally by July 28. This gives advertisers at least one month to complete any verification requirements before they get enforced as early as July 31.
Going forward, advertisers will have to confirm who benefits from and pays for the ad. Additionally, while creating the ad, advertisers must also choose the verified beneficiary and payer information which will appear on the disclaimer with the ad. This information cannot be updated once the ad goes live.
Other social media platforms, including YouTube, Google, X, Telegram, and LinkedIn all offer identity verification of some sort to ensure responsible advertising. Meta’s change also comes after a March 2025 advisory from SEBI warning about rising investor scams across platforms like YouTube, Instagram, X, and more as reported by Moneycontrol. The advisory also requested ad runners to register advertisers’ contact information before letting them run investment ads.
While a good first step, there are still loopholes in Meta’s approach. For starters, it only applies to paid ads. Influencers dishing out investment advice aren’t covered under the same rules, letting a large portion of financial advise-related content run unaffected.
Additionally, while Meta requires SEBI registration numbers, it’s unclear how the social media giant is going to verify these details. This also puts the responsibility to be accurate on the advertisers, with no clear plan for follow-ups or misuse.
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