Labour politician Grant Robertson is under fire after internet sleuths claim he was following a controversial Instagram account.
New Zealand Labour Party politician, Grant Robertson, is facing backlash after social media sleuths discovered he was allegedly following an Instagram account called ‘Cute Boys Philippines.’
The account, which has more than 40,000 followers, features photos and videos of what appear to be underage boys from the Philippines in various stages of undress.
The discovery was made public by Cam Slater, the editor of The BFD, one of New Zealand’s largest independent news websites.
Slater posted screenshots showing Robertson’s verified Instagram account as a follower of ‘Cute Boys Philippines.’
Following the revelation, Robertson appears to have unfollowed the controversial account.
Commenters on social media were quick to notice the change, with one pointing out, “I hope you grabbed a screen record of this or people will say it’s fake because if it was accurate, it has been scrubbed. Worth noting, 315 follows in this pic and only 314 today.”
Social Blade statistics confirm that Robertson was following 315 accounts on the platform yesterday with that number today down to 309 at the time of publishing.
Slater responded to the online reactions, stating, “He’s removed it now… the phone was obviously turning red hot from journo calls.”
The news has sparked outrage among many social media users, with several commenters labeling the situation as “sick.”
Grant Robertson, who holds a prominent position within the New Zealand Labour Party as Finance Minister, has yet to release a statement addressing the situation.
The incident has raised questions about the ethics and judgment of public figures in the age of social media, where the line between personal and professional can often be blurred.