Street racing is illegal, period. But in the age of social media, these dangerous activities have taken on a new dimension, turning into profit-generating content fueled by monetization, on top of the money exchanged through betting and gambling.

With public safety at stake, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has intensified its crackdown, even going as far as coordinating with Meta Platforms to take down pages that promote and profit from illegal street racing.

“We will not tolerate any form of illegal racing on our roads. These acts pose a serious threat to public safety. We will continue to intensify our operations and investigations to ensure that those who violate the law are held accountable,” said LTO Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao.

According to LTO, appropriate penalties have already been imposed, including the perpetual revocation of one respondent’s driver’s license and the suspension of 14 others for periods ranging from three to six months.

The agency had also coordinated with Meta to request the takedown of a couple of social media accounts that were allegedly used to upload and circulate illegal drag racing content. Meta has since taken down one of the accounts for violating policies on fake identities, while another remains active as of this writing.

The LTO is once again calling on the public to help clear the roads of dangerous drivers by reporting traffic violators, including illegal street racers, through its official social media channels or hotline.