What are SEC issues I should know about when using my automatic stock trading software?

External question — Personal Finance Stack Exchange Author: Doug Null Original post: https://money.stackexchange.com/questions/139969 License: CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Adaptation: HTML converted to plain text; contact email addresses removed. I created software that does automatic stock buying and selling through Interactive Brokers' web/API. Does the SEC regulate this?

External answer — Personal Finance Stack Exchange Author: RiverNet Original post: https://money.stackexchange.com/a/139971 License: CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Adaptation: HTML converted to plain text; contact email addresses removed. FIRST, I ASSUME YOU ARE BASED IN THE U.S. If you're buying for your own personal accounts and have simply found a way to automate your own trades then I don't think there are any regulatory issues. In principle this isn't much different than using the tools most brokerages provide to clients allowing them to "automate" trades based on market conditions. If you're buying for other people or allowing other people to trade using your software then that's an entirely different matter. For that you need to consult a securities attorney.