Instagram restricted access in Brazil to several influencer accounts on November 11 following a federal request concerning promotions for betting websites. The action moved enforcement beyond gambling sites to social media profiles directing users toward them.
The Ministry of Justice and Public Security asked for the removal of 348 Instagram profiles on November 9. It said the accounts had continued promoting betting platforms after Brazil prohibited fixed-odds wagering and that their combined audiences exceeded 150 million followers.
The ministry has not published a complete list of the targeted accounts or confirmed how many have since been restricted.
The main profile of Malévola Alves, with about 1.5 million followers, was restricted, according to Brazilian news outlet Metrópoles. The outlet also identified restrictions on accounts belonging to Belo Belo, who had more than one million followers and former reality television participant Paulo Augusto, who had 746,000.
Merianne Silva, Cris ZL, Léo Neiff and Sagatt were among other influencers whose accounts displayed similar notices. The report did not establish that all 348 accounts in the ministry’s request had been taken down.
The notices specify restrictions within Brazil. One said access to content had been limited because of a legal requirement concerning fixed-odds betting services.
Another referred to a legal request from Ciberlab, the Justice Ministry’s cyber operations laboratory. Instagram said it reviewed the content against its policies and assessed the legal request before restricting access where local law applied.
Alves still had two other Instagram accounts with more than 1.1 million followers between them when Metrópoles reported the restriction. The extent to which other affected influencers retained alternative profiles remains unclear.
Brazil’s Provisional Measure 1,394/2026, issued on September 25, prohibits the operation, offer, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds betting, including sports wagering and online casino games.
The ministry’s latest action extends its enforcement focus to accounts directing users toward prohibited services. Its monitoring has identified more than 60,000 related sites, pages, profiles, groups and servers since the measure took effect. Officials have not reported a matching number of removals.
On November 10, a separate industry monitor identified 802 Instagram profiles linking to 844 suspected betting sites in Brazil. Its findings covered a sample of accounts and did not measure the platform as a whole.
The Justice Ministry says its monitoring has identified more than 900 Instagram profiles promoting irregular betting since September 25
