In 2008, the SEC made it illegal to short financial institutions.

Do they exist to ensure fairness, or to prop up the winners?

Pretty obvious answer.

That’s misleading. You’re talking about the ban on naked shorts.

It is not misleading.

It happened exactly as described https://www.cnbc.com/2008/09/19/sec-halts-shortselling-in-79...

Which isn’t enforced if you are big enough