Leading social media apps on Google Play Philippines 2023, by number of downloads

As of June 2023, Facebook was the leading social media application in the Philippines. As of this date, the social media app has been downloaded five billion times from the Google Play store. The number Facebook users in the country reached roughly 78 million in 2022 and was forecast to increase further in 2026.

 Facebook’s popularity in the Philippines 

The number of Facebook users in the Philippines had been gradually increasing over the years, with the platform’s popularity apparent across generations. Used more than just as a networking site, Facebook is leveraged by businesses and news outlets to reach out to the country’s growing internet population. A 2022 survey on digital news in the Philippines revealed that among the social networking platforms, Facebook was the most trusted news source. In addition, the pages of the two largest media organizations - ABS-CBN and GMA Network, were among the most popular pages across the platform.

 Challenges in cybersecurity

As more transactions become digital, the risk of falling prey to cybercrimes also increases. Data from the Philippines showed that Region 4-A recorded the highest number of hacking incidents 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.