Meta Shuts Facebook Pages of 20 Social Media Influencers Promoting Illegal Online Gambling
Meta has taken down the Facebook pages of 20 social media influencers reportedly involved in promoting illegal online gambling.
According to the digital advocacy group Digital Pinoys, the pages of popular social media influencers like Boy Tapang, Kuya Lex TV, and actor Mark Anthony Fernandez were taken down.
• Boy Tapang – 5.5M followers
• Kuya Lex TV – 100K followers
• Mark Anthony Fernandez – 242K followers
These accounts were submitted to Meta for review following the recommendation of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), which flagged them for violating community guidelines related to gambling content.
Earlier this month, the CICC warned influencers and content creators to delete any posts that promote illegal online gambling or risk facing legal consequences. They were given until July 11 to comply, prompting groups like Digital Pinoys to coordinate with Meta for enforcement.
Digital Pinoys acknowledged Meta’s immediate response and urged the platform to continue reviewing other flagged accounts.
The group believes this move is a significant step in protecting online users, especially younger audiences from the dangers of gambling content on social media.
The CICC was also commended for its role in initiating this campaign. According to Digital Pinoys, this is just the beginning of a broader effort to hold influencers accountable and clean up the online space from illegal activities.
The crackdown is expected to continue in the coming weeks as more accounts come under review.
Meanwhile, Sachzna Laparan clarified that her account was not taken down. The influencer explained that her account was only suspended for distributing GCash to her followers.
As online gambling becomes more widespread, especially through social media platforms, authorities and advocacy groups are working closely with tech companies to ensure user safety.
The crackdown is expected to continue in the coming weeks as more accounts come under review.
In a previous report, PH government admits struggle in stopping online gambling called ‘scatter’
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