Brazil's Public Prosecutor's Office for the Federal District (MPDFT) filed one more civil public lawsuit against influencer Virginia Fonseca, Brazil’s biggest influencer in numbers.
The lawsuit was filed at the Federal District Court of Justice, seeking collective moral damages over gambling advertisements. The lawsuit names both Fonseca and betting operator Blaze, requesting a minimum of BR120m ($23.5m) in reparations.
Prosecutor Paulo Roberto Binicheski, who signed the filing, described Fonseca as the "operational arm" of the betting operator's user acquisition strategy, accusing her of "executing the misleading message and inducing betting."
The filing detailed how the influencer's posts shaped follower behavior, emphasizing influencers' responsibility toward consumers.
"By recommending products and services, influencers induce the public to adopt behaviors aligned with the lifestyle they promote. This credibility turns recommendations into genuine seals of approval, creating a legitimate expectation among consumers,” Binicheski said.
“The influencer's endorsement goes beyond mere opinion, providing an implicit guarantee of quality grounded in the trust built with their audience.”
The filing requests urgent injunctive relief ordering the immediate removal of advertisements promising unrealistic profits or containing disguised advertising.
Prosecutors calculated the requested damages based on the reach of Fonseca's posts, requesting the funds be directed toward social and mental health programs.
Recently, in July, the MPDFT also requested the advertising contracts signed between Blaze, footballer Neymar Jr and Fonseca, as part of an ongoing civil investigation into the operator's marketing practices. Turns out the influencer was accused of profiting over bettor’s losses.
Born in the United States and raised in Brazil, Fonseca gained massive popularity through her lifestyle and beauty content on YouTube and Instagram, where she has over 50 million followers
