On 24 April 2026,the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has joined 16 global regulators for the “Global Week of Action Against Unlawful Finfluencers,” an IOSCO-led initiative starting April 20, 2026, to disrupt illegal financial promotions. This coordinated effort addresses the systemic risk posed by unlicensed influencers operating across jurisdictional boundaries on social media platforms.The SFC’s enforcement strategy has yielded significant results, including securing custodial sentences for unlicensed investment advice and achieving a 90% removal rate for suspicious social media accounts. To enhance oversight, the SFC deployed SENSOR in late 2025,an AI-driven monitoring system utilizing natural language processing to detect illegal solicitations and “red flag” promotions in real-time.Complementing its enforcement actions, the SFC is prioritizing investor education through strategic partnerships with the Hong Kong Police Force and the HKMA. By integrating advanced surveillance technology with international regulatory cooperation, the SFC aims to mitigate online fraud and ensure market integrity within the evolving digital landscape.
Source: https://apps.sfc.hk/edistributionWeb/gateway/EN/news-and-announcements/news/doc?refNo=26PR63