Naked short selling, or naked shorting, is the practice of selling a stock short without first borrowing the shares or ensuring that the shares can be borrowed as is done in a conventional short sale. In the United States, naked shorting is covered by numerous SEC regulations.[1][2] These regulations prohibit the practice for most investors while making an exception for certain types of large investors designated as "market makers."[3] Nevertheless, some commentators have contended that naked shorting is widespread and that the SEC regulations are poorly enforced, a claim which the SEC has denied. The practice is controversial due to these contentions and other disagreements about its effects and the manner in which it is used. Concern about abusive naked short selling has increased during 2008, and in June the SEC issued a temporary order restricting short-selling of the shares of 19 financial firms deemed systemically important.[4]