Indonesia’s financial regulator has introduced new rules requiring social media influencers promoting investment products to obtain proper licensing and clearly disclose paid partnerships. The Financial Services Authority is notably shifting enforcement focus from individual influencers to corporate accountability, meaning firms commissioning promotional content will bear regulatory responsibility for what influencers publish. Crypto influencers must demonstrate competency certification in financial services, though specific requirements remain undefined.
The Indonesian move reflects a broader global regulatory push against unlicensed financial promotion on social media platforms. A 2024 BaFin study revealed that over half of younger investors rely on social media for financial guidance, prompting coordinated enforcement action across sixteen jurisdictions including Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia. The UAE implemented a dedicated finfluencer framework in 2025, though compliance monitoring remains patchy with licensed status often unclear from social media profiles.
Enforcement presents significant practical challenges given the volume and transient nature of social content. India’s SEBI has deployed artificial intelligence and web scraping technology to monitor platforms, reportedly removing over 120,000 misleading posts. European regulator CySEC has prioritised the issue for 2026 but concrete regulatory measures are still pending.
For brokers and payment firms, the implications are clear. Marketing partnerships with influencers now carry direct regulatory liability in multiple jurisdictions. Companies must establish compliance frameworks for vetting influencer credentials, reviewing content pre-publication, and ensuring proper disclosures are maintained.
FXnCO Insight
Firms using influencer marketing should implement documented approval processes now rather than wait for enforcement action, as regulators are rapidly moving from guidance to corporate liability models.
Source: Finance Magnates