The European Securities and Markets Authority has written to X, Meta, TikTok, Alphabet, Telegram, Snap, Amazon, Apple, Google and Reddit, encouraging them to take proactive steps to prevent the promotion of unauthorised financial services on their platforms. ESMA highlighted the growing spread of online scams targeting retail investors, where fraudulent actors use digital channels to advertise unlawful financial services and mislead consumers into dealing with firms that lack proper authorisation. The regulator linked this activity to financial losses for consumers and an erosion of trust in the financial sector, and positioned its outreach as complementing a recent initiative launched by the International Organization of Securities Commissions.