Leading social media apps on Google Play Philippines 2024, by number of downloads

As of June 2024, Facebook and Instagram were the leading social media applications in the Philippines. As of this date, the social media apps have been downloaded five billion times from the Google Play Store. Both Facebook and Instagram are owned by Meta, along with the messaging application Facebook Messenger. 

Facebook's popularity in the Philippines 

The number of Facebook users in the Philippines has been gradually increasing over the years, with the platform’s popularity apparent across generations. Facebook is used more than just as a networking site; it is leveraged by businesses and news outlets to reach out to the country’s growing internet population. A 2024 survey on digital news in the Philippines revealed that among the social networking platforms, Facebook was the most trusted news source. 

Challenges in cybersecurity

As more transactions become digital, the risk of falling prey to cybercrime also increases. In 2023, about 14,000 online scam incidents were recorded in the Philippines, which represents a significant increase from just 600 in 2019. To address this, the Philippine government passed the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, which penalizes illegal acts done online such as identity theft, child pornography, and cybersex.