Hong Kong SFC Enforcement News Scraper

🚨 Hong Kong SFC Enforcement News Scraper

Scrape Hong Kong SFC enforcement actions: firm or person, action type, penalty and date. Run it once and you get the current records as a dataset — that is the default. Turn on watch mode and a scheduled run returns only what changed since the last run (see Optional: run it on a schedule). Built by NexGen Watch on Apify.

Securities and Futures Commission enforcement news as it is published: reprimands, fines, suspensions, bans, freezing orders and prosecutions, with the named parties the SFC attaches to each item. Keyed on the SFC's own news reference number.

Output is one enforcement_news_record row per result; billing is pay-per-event, the value event being one enforcement news delta (a $0.02 start fee per run, then $0.30 per enforcement news delta plus one $0.10 source check per run that reads the source). Source: apps.sfc.hk.

Who buys this

Buyers usually search for SFC enforcement or Hong Kong securities enforcement.

• Compliance, KYC and AML teams checking SFC enforcement.
• Legal and risk teams monitoring Hong Kong securities enforcement for clients and counterparties.
• Journalists and researchers tracking regulatory action.

📊 Sample Output

Real rows from run AsUeKjiaeUXLVHjZj on build 0.1.26 (2026-09-28), the same input as the Quick start below — every value is as the source published it (emails masked, long text shortened):

news_ref_no	title	issue_date	issue_timestamp	news_type	targets
26PR154	SFC suspends dealings in Silver Grant International Holdings Group Lim	2026-09-25	2026-09-25T16:36:29.538	EF	["Silver Grant International Holdings Group Limited"]

The run finished with the status message: NORMAL: emitted 1 item(s)

✅ What you get

One row per record delivered by Hong Kong SFC Enforcement News Watch; in watch mode a delta row carries delta_type, before, after and changed_fields. Field names come from the actor's real output; fields the source does not publish are null.

Each row is flat JSON with these fields (from the dataset schema and the sample run; a field the source does not publish for a given row is null):

• record_key (string/null) — e.g. sfc:26PR154
• news_ref_no (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. 26PR154
• title (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. SFC suspends dealings in Silver Grant International Holdings Group Limited share
• issue_date (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. 2026-09-25
• issue_timestamp (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. 2026-09-25T16:36:29.538
• news_type (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. EF
• language (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. EN
• targets (array/string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. ["Silver Grant International Holdings Group Limited"]
• external_link (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — null in every sample row
• record_type (string) — e.g. enforcement_news_record
• delta_type (string/null) — null in every sample row
• before (object/array/string/number/integer/boolean/null) — null in every sample row
• after (object/array/string/number/integer/boolean/null) — null in every sample row
• changed_fields (array/object/string/null) — null in every sample row
• observed_at (string/null) — null in every sample row

✅ What you get

✅ What you get

• record_key (string/null) — e.g. sfc:26PR145
• news_ref_no (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. 26PR145
• title (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. SFC obtains continuation of worldwide freezing orders against Lo Kai Bong and Ma
• issue_date (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. 2026-09-18
• issue_timestamp (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. 2026-09-18T16:36:54.941
• news_type (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. EF
• language (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. EN
• targets (array/string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. ["LET Group Holdings Limited", "LO Kai Bong", "Major Success Group Limited", "Su
• external_link (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — null in every sample row
• record_type (string) — e.g. enforcement_news_record
• delta_type (string/null) — null in every sample row
• before (object/array/string/number/integer/boolean/null) — null in every sample row
• after (object/array/string/number/integer/boolean/null) — null in every sample row
• changed_fields (array/object/string/null) — null in every sample row
• observed_at (string/null) — null in every sample row

✅ What you get

• record_key (string/null) — e.g. sfc:26PR143
• news_ref_no — e.g. 26PR143
• title — e.g. Pre-trial review set for criminal prosecution for noncompliance with SFC notices
• issue_date — e.g. 2026-09-17
• issue_timestamp — e.g. 2026-09-17T18:33:27.294
• news_type — e.g. EF
• language — e.g. EN
• targets — e.g. ["CHOW Pak Wah, Oliver"]
• external_link — null in every sample row
• record_type (string) — e.g. enforcement_news_record
• delta_type (string/null) — null in every sample row

Every run also writes a RUN_RECEIPT record to its key-value store with the source checks it made and the counts it charged — diagnostics never land in the paid dataset.

⚙️ Sample inputs

1. Quick start — the Store example (this is what the sample above came from)

{
  "category": "enforcement",
  "language": "EN",
  "page_size": 1,
  "pages": 1,
  "title_contains": [],
  "watch_mode": false,
  "baseline_id": "default"
}

The sample run charged exactly: 1 × $0.02 apify-actor-start + 1 × $0.10 source-check + 0 × $0.30 enforcement-news-delta = $0.12 on the Free tier — snapshot preview rows are delivered unbilled; only the source check and the start fee were charged.

2. Optional watch mode (changes only, for a schedule)

{
  "category": "enforcement",
  "language": "EN",
  "page_size": 1,
  "pages": 1,
  "title_contains": [],
  "watch_mode": true,
  "baseline_id": "default"
}

The first run seeds a private baseline and emits zero deltas; every later run emits one row per change, billed at $0.30 each plus the $0.10 source check; billed deltas are capped at 500 per run.

🧾 JSON sample record

One real record from run AsUeKjiaeUXLVHjZj, exactly as it lands in the dataset (emails masked, long text shortened):

{
  "record_key": "sfc:26PR154",
  "news_ref_no": "26PR154",
  "title": "SFC suspends dealings in Silver Grant International Holdings Group Limited shares over suspicious diversion of over $1 billion in loan proceeds to its then-major shareholder and related party",
  "issue_date": "2026-09-25",
  "issue_timestamp": "2026-09-25T16:36:29.538",
  "news_type": "EF",
  "language": "EN",
  "targets": [
    "Silver Grant International Holdings Group Limited"
  ],
  "external_link": null,
  "record_type": "enforcement_news_record",
  "schema_version": "1.0",
  "output_mode": "preview",
  "preview_cap": 25,
  "preview_truncated": 0
}

🔧 How it works

Source. The actor reads apps.sfc.hk — endpoints: https://apps.sfc.hk/edistributionWeb/api/news/search, https://apps.sfc.hk/edistributionWeb/gateway/EN/. Public pages and feeds only; nothing behind a login.

Transport. Plain HTTPS from the Apify platform, no proxy. robots.txt is read first and a disallowed path is never fetched. Every request carries an identified contact User-Agent.

Watch semantics. Snapshot mode (watch_mode: false) returns a preview capped at 25 records. Watch mode keys every record on a source-native id, stores a private baseline in a named key-value store, and on each later run emits one delta row per change (new / changed / removed). A blocked fetch is never diffed, so a source outage cannot show up as a mass removal.

Terminal states. A run ends NORMAL, CAPPED (your cap was reached), PARTIAL (something was withheld and the message says what), GENUINE_EMPTY (the source was read and truly had nothing in scope) or BLOCKED (the source refused or changed shape — the run FAILS loud and bills nothing). A zero-row run is never reported as a silent success.

Charging. Each enforcement news delta is charged at the moment it is pushed (enforcement-news-delta); a row that fails to charge is not delivered, so the dataset count always equals the charged count. One source-check is charged per run that actually read the source.

🔧 How it works

🔧 How it works

🔧 How it works

Source

HK SFC eDistribution public news search API (public, logged-out)

• https://apps.sfc.hk/edistributionWeb/api/news/search

Public, logged-out only — no API key, login, cookie or CAPTCHA.

Snapshot mode is a PREVIEW

watch_mode: false returns at most 25 records, hard-capped in code regardless of any input, labeled output_mode: "preview". This actor sells change detection, not bulk record export.

Watch semantics

The first watch run stores a private baseline and emits zero deltas. Later runs emit NEW / CHANGED / REMOVED keyed on the source-native id with before / after and changed_fields. Billed deltas are capped at 500 per run; the overflow is reported as a named PARTIAL withholding, is never billed, and is re-detected on the next run.

Terminal states

NORMAL · SUCCEEDED-0: GENUINE_EMPTY · SUCCEEDED-0 (no change) · PARTIAL · BLOCKED. A zero with no evidence FAILS loud rather than exiting 0 quietly.

Run it WEEKLY, not daily

Schedule this Actor once a week. That is a recommendation about your bill, not about coverage — a weekly run reads the same window and misses nothing.

SFC enforcement is a low-frequency, high-consequence feed. Measured on 2026-07-27: 4 enforcement items in the trailing 30 days, about 1.3 a week, against 200 items spanning 881 days on the enforcement category. On a daily schedule the seven weekly source-check events are roughly two thirds of your bill and buy no extra signal; on a weekly schedule the per-delta event carries most of it and you see exactly the same enforcement actions.

Override the cadence if you have a reason to — a same-day read of a reprimand, a ban or a freezing order is worth the extra checks to some desks.

What is not done. No login, no cookie or CAPTCHA bypass, no private or personal-account data, no browser automation.

⏰ Optional: run it on a schedule

A single run returns the current records. If you also want to be told what changed over time, open the actor in Apify Console → Schedules → Create new, add this actor with input 3 above (watch_mode: true) so each run returns only the changes, and pick a cadence:

• Daily — 0 7 * * * (07:00 UTC): catch changes within a day.
• Weekly — 0 7 * * 1: a Monday digest.

The baseline persists in a named key-value store between runs, so every scheduled run compares against the last one; use a different baseline_id for independent watches. Schedules can also POST results to a webhook (Console → Integrations).

⏰ Optional: run it on a schedule

A single run returns the current records. If you also want to be told what changed over time, open the actor in Apify Console → Schedules → Create new, add this actor with the watch-mode input above (watch_mode: true) so each run returns only the changes, and pick a cadence:

💰 Pricing example

Event	Free	Bronze	Silver	Gold
Actor Start (apify-actor-start)	$0.02	$0.02	$0.02	$0.02
Source check (source-check)	$0.10	$0.09	$0.08	$0.067
Enforcement News Delta (enforcement-news-delta)	$0.30	$0.27	$0.24	$0.201

Worked at the live Free-tier price (watch mode, one delta per change):

• 1 enforcement news deltas: $0.02 start + $0.10 source check + 1 × $0.30 = $0.42
• 25 enforcement news deltas: $0.02 start + $0.10 source check + 25 × $0.30 = $7.62
• 100 enforcement news deltas: $0.02 start + $0.10 source check + 100 × $0.30 = $30.12

A run that delivers zero rows charges the $0.02 start fee plus the $0.10 source check (the source was read and reported empty). A BLOCKED run (source refused) fails loud and charges no value event. The start fee is charged once per GB of run memory; the default run memory is 1024 MB.

Yield on the sample run: NORMAL: emitted 1 item(s). Snapshot output is capped at 25 records regardless of the cap you set; watch mode is the full feed.

⚖️ Legal & ToS

This actor reads public, logged-out pages and feeds published by apps.sfc.hk. It collects only what the source publishes to any visitor, keeps to the source's robots rules (checked on every run), identifies itself with a contact User-Agent, and does not access accounts, private data or anything behind authentication. Use the output in line with the source's terms and your local law; the intended use is B2B research and monitoring.

❓ FAQ

Q: Do I need an API key or a login?
A: No. The source (apps.sfc.hk) is read logged-out; the input schema has no key field and the actor carries no secrets.

Q: Why did my run return 0 rows?
A: Read the run's status message. GENUINE_EMPTY means the source was read and had nothing in scope for your input (in watch mode the first run always seeds the baseline and returns zero deltas); BLOCKED means the source refused and the run failed without billing a value event — retry later or narrow the input. A zero-row run bills the start fee plus one source check.

Q: What does watch mode remember between runs?
A: A private baseline of source-native record ids in a named key-value store (baseline_id names it, so several independent watches can coexist). Each later run diffs the live source against it and emits only changes.

Q: How fresh is the data?
A: Every run reads the source live at run time; nothing is cached between runs except the watch baseline. Put it on a schedule for a continuous feed.

Q: What formats can I export?
A: The dataset downloads as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML or RSS from the run's Dataset tab or the Apify API, and any run can push to a webhook or integration.

Q: How is this different from the other enforcement and sanctions scrapers actors?
A: Same output shape and billing model; this one covers apps.sfc.hk. The siblings under Related Actors cover the other sources or slices — run several on one schedule for a combined feed.

Q: Are there rate limits?
A: The actor paces itself against the source and honours its robots rules; there is no per-buyer limit beyond your Apify plan's concurrency.

🆘 Troubleshooting

• Run FAILED with BLOCKED → the source refused the request or changed its page shape → nothing was billed beyond the start fee; retry after a while, and if it persists open an Issue with the run id.
• Fewer rows than expected → the source had fewer items in scope → widen the input.
• Input validation error on start → a field is outside the schema's allowed values → start from the Quick start block and change one field at a time.
• Run TIMED-OUT → a very wide request on a slow day → raise the run timeout in Run options or narrow the input; what was delivered before the timeout is still in the dataset.
• First watch run shows no deltas → expected: it seeds the baseline; changes appear from the second run.

🔗 Related Actors

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• US FDIC Bank Status Changes Scraper — Scrape US FDIC bank status events: institution, event type (merger, failure, charter change) and date. Every run returns the current records as a dat…
• US HHS-OIG Exclusion List Scraper — Scrape the US HHS-OIG exclusion list (LEIE): excluded individuals and entities, exclusion type, date and reinstatements. Every run returns the curren…
• 🏢 About NexGen Watch — NexGen Watch is a catalog of more than 300 public data actors built on official sources, pay-per-result. Browse the catalog at apify.com/nexgenwatch.

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