Manila, Philippines – Tech giant Meta has recently cracked down on multiple pages of PH celebrities who are promoting online gambling sites, resulting in the deletion of said pages. This is according to the latest statement from local advocacy group Digital Pinoys, who recently worked alongside the country’s Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) to dismantle the promotions of online gambling platforms in the country.
Some of the affected pages include Boy Tapang (5.5 million followers), Sachzna Laparan (9.7 million followers), Kuya Lex TV (100K followers), and Mark Anthony Fernandez (242K followers).
In total, 20 influencers were included in the first batch submitted by Digital Pinoys and endorsed by CICC to Meta.
“We thank Meta for swiftly acting on our joint request with CICC to take down the pages of influencers blatantly promoting illegal online gambling. We hope the remaining pages flagged in our initial report will be removed in the coming day,” Digital Pinoys’ National Campaigner Ronald Gustilo, said.
He also added that this is only the beginning of a wider crackdown, noting that the Philippine government is serious in these ongoing crackdowns.
“Some of these influencers thought they were untouchable—that we were bluffing. They had more than enough time to comply. They gambled with the law, and now they’re facing the consequences,” Gustilo commented.
It should be recalled that Digital Pinoys and CICC joined forces earlier this month to intensify its campaign in dismantling the widespread operations of illegal online gambling in the country.
In a recent press statement, CICC said that these unregulated platforms have become increasingly aggressive in targeting Filipinos—using influencers, digital wallets, and algorithm-driven advertising to lure in players, including minors.
As part of the campaign, CICC has given influencers and content creators a week to take down any materials promoting illegal online gambling, adding that those who fail to comply will face legal action.
Moreover, CICC is currently pursuing enforcement action against over 150 identified websites. These are queued for takedown, as the agency strengthens its links with internet service providers and relevant law enforcement partners. In addition, several influencers and content creators promoting illegal gambling content have also been identified.
The crackdown is part of an ongoing nationwide initiative to regulate online gambling in the country, including a recent partnership between the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and the Ad Standards Council (ASC) to regulate advertisements from online gambling platforms. It also follows PAGCOR’s recent directive mandating the removal of outdoor advertisements promoting online gambling, marking the initial step in tightening ad oversight in the sector.
