IG Group (LSE: IGG) has partnered with Adclear to deploy artificial intelligence across its marketing compliance operations, aiming to speed up the approval process for promotional materials as regulatory scrutiny of financial advertising intensifies.

The move, however, raises questions about how far firms should lean on automation for regulatory oversight. The FCA recently froze a payments firm that relied on automated compliance tools, after its systems failed to flag an executive previously fined $11 million by US regulators. The case showed screening software missed red flags that basic manual checks would have caught in minutes.​

IG Group Deploys AI Platform to Speed Marketing Compliance Reviews

The UK-based broker says it completed a pilot program before rolling out Adclear's platform across its UK and Ireland marketing and compliance teams. The AI system analyzes content for stocks, ETFs, cryptocurrency, and other trading products against current financial promotion rules, flagging required changes in real time.

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IG reported that 87% of marketing assets now receive approval within target timeframes, compared to persistent delays under previous manual review processes. First-time approval rates have also increased since the technology went live several weeks ago.

"Prior to Adclear, getting creative and marketing content signed off within our target approval window was challenging," said Elise Ash, Marketing & Growth Director at IG Group. "Our compliance teams were already really busy and the volume of content we were asking them to review was only growing - so the issue was compounding."

Crypto License Adds Urgency to Compliance Overhaul

IG became the first retail broker to secure an FCA crypto license in the UK, positioning itself to offer cryptoasset services as the regulator prepares new rules for the sector. The FCA has indicated crypto firms will face a "high bar" under forthcoming consumer duty requirements, raising the stakes for marketing compliance.​

The timing aligns with IG's broader crypto expansion plans, which include launching services in Singapore, Australia, and the UAE following its acquisition of Independent Reserve. Capital Group recently took a 5% stake in IG valued at approximately $316 million, six months after making a similar investment in Plus500.

AI Reduces Review Cycles Across Finance Sector

Adclear's technology is already used by Lloyds Banking Group, PensionBee, Yonder, Trade Nation, ActivTrades, and IG-owned Freetrade, among others. The platform reduces the traditional back-and-forth between marketing and compliance teams by providing instant feedback on regulatory issues.

One client, savings platform Plum, increased marketing output 18 times while cutting approval times from ten days to same-day processing on average. Trade Nation saw a 103% increase in marketing output, while ActivTrades reduced daily compliance review time from nine hours to one.​

"FCA and ASA regulations are constantly evolving, just as marketing techniques boost teams' abilities to create, personalize and ship content to their audiences faster than ever," said Doni Hoti, CEO and co-founder of Adclear. "With new rules - including those around cryptoassets - set to come into force later this year, finprom is on track to come under an increasingly bright spotlight."

The platform analyzes press articles, social media posts, outdoor advertising, and digital ads, creating an audit trail for compliance teams to reference during regulatory reviews.

Marketing Teams Balance Speed With Regulatory Demands

Financial services firms face mounting pressure to produce high volumes of content across digital channels while staying compliant with advertising rules. Industry observers note AI tools are opening new opportunities for efficiency, but human oversight remains necessary.

"Real-time AI insights allow brokers, fintechs, and crypto brands to meet audiences in the moment, whether it's during a market spike, a regulatory shift, or a cultural breakthrough," said Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X, speaking at a recent Finance Magnates event. "Brands that respond in real time don't just save on acquisition costs - they gain cultural credibility that lasts far beyond the spike."

Roberto Napolitano, CMO at Innovate Finance, noted that "smarter AI tools are opening opportunities for businesses to reach customers more effectively" but emphasized the need to "strike the right balance between technology and human creativity to build trust and growth in a competitive market."

Ash said the AI deployment addresses a specific bottleneck at IG. "Forward-thinking finance brands need to keep pace with modern marketing techniques, but we can't afford for that to come at the expense of accuracy and compliance," she said. "This technology allows us to deliver on both fronts simultaneously."

As IG expands the platform's use, teams will apply the technology to a wider range of content formats across multiple markets and product lines.