Kuala Lumpur: The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has unveiled updated Guidelines on Advertising for Capital Market Products and Related Services, set to take effect on November 1, 2025.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the revisions are aimed at aligning with current advertising and promotional trends, particularly acknowledging the rising influence of social media and financial influencers, commonly known as ‘finfluencers.’ These changes are designed to promote responsible advertising practices for capital market products and services.

The SC has introduced new requirements for finfluencers who independently promote capital market products and services without being engaged as marketing agents by advertisers. Such individuals will now be considered advertisers and must adhere to the guidelines.

Additionally, the SC has enhanced the obligations for advertisers to ensure their marketing agents’ compliance with the guidelines, holding advertisers accountable for their agents’ conduct.

The use of social media for financial promotions has been addressed with stricter requirements, and the guidelines now prohibit advertising services in Malaysia by individuals not authorized by the SC.

The SC stated that these guidelines are part of its continuous efforts to foster responsible advertising on new channels like social media, ultimately safeguarding investors. The revised guidelines were developed after benchmarking against regulations in Australia, the UK, and Singapore, and considering input from various stakeholders, including finfluencers.