Meta recently took major action by blocking 20 Filipino influencer accounts for allegedly advertising and directing traffic to illegal online gambling platforms.
Among the blocked accounts were notable figures, including Boy Tapang with 5.5 million followers, Sachzna Laparan with 9.7 million followers, Kuya Lex TV with 100,000 followers, and actor Mark Anthony Fernandez with 242,000 followers.
This initiative was launched by the Philippine civic organization Digital Pinoys and supported by the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC).
Ronald Gustilo, the national campaign initiator for Digital Pinoys, stated: "Thanks to Meta for decisively shutting down these platforms that blatantly promote illegal gambling." He emphasized that this is just the beginning of the cleanup of illegal gambling content, with more extensive efforts to follow.
The issue of illegal online gambling in the Philippines is increasingly severe, with many young people and workers deeply involved. Gambling platforms frequently exploit the influence of influencers to attract user registrations, even affecting minors. The government and civic groups are intensifying joint efforts to curb this socially harmful trend.
