Social media continues to be a priority of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”), and we can expect more guidance soon, according to a top official.

The official, FINRA Chairman and CEO Richard G. Ketchum, recently noted that FINRA’s Social Networking Task Force continued to examine issues relating to the use of social media by member firms, but had yet to release new guidance on the topic. He said that FINRA intended to provide further guidance on social media issues this year. FINRA last issued guidance on this topic in Regulatory Notice 10-06.

The Social Networking Task Force, which was organized by FINRA in 2009, is composed of FINRA staff and industry representatives. The task force discusses how firms and their registered representatives can use social media sites for legitimate business purposes in a manner consistent with investor protection. Regulatory Notice 10-06, which included input from the task force, provides significant guidance with respect to social media issues, but the landscape of social media is constantly changing, leaving many open questions.