The Invasion of Online Gambling Advertisements on Social Media: Algorithmic Threats to the Effectiveness of MSME Digital Marketing
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This research investigates the systemic disruption caused by online gambling advertisements on the digital marketing effectiveness of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia. Employing an extended systematic literature review spanning from 2023 to 2026, this study thoroughly synthesizes principles of cyber-criminology, algorithmic media studies, and strategic marketing management to deconstruct this complex phenomenon. Findings reveal that illegal gambling operators systematically exploit social media algorithms through aggressive content hijacking, typosquatting, and deceptive cloaking techniques to manipulate platform visibility. Consequently, this algorithmic manipulation triggers a massive artificial demand shock in digital ad auctions, unnaturally inflating cost-per-click rates and effectively crowding out legitimate MSMEs. Furthermore, the resulting information pollution provokes strong psychological defense mechanisms among targeted consumers, specifically advertising avoidance and severe trust deficits, which then significantly erode legitimate product conversion rates. Ultimately, this intrusion functions as a detrimental algorithmic tax, severely threatening the sustainability of Indonesia’s future digital economic transformation.
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