Federal authorities are reportedly investigating Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, Meta, for allegedly facilitating drug sales.
“U.S. prosecutors in Virginia have been sending subpoenas and asking questions as part of a criminal grand jury probe looking into whether the company’s social-media platforms are facilitating and profiting from the illegal sale of drugs,” The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday, citing anonymous sources.
The prosecutors have reportedly requested records related to “violative drug content on Meta’s platforms and/or the illicit sale of drugs via Meta’s platforms,” according to these subpoenas that were delivered last year.
“The sale of illicit drugs is against our policies and we work to find and remove this content from our services,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement. “Meta proactively cooperates with law enforcement authorities to help combat the sale and distribution of illicit drugs.”
The Journal’s report, published Saturday, came a day after Meta president of global affairs Nick Clegg revealed on the competing social media platform X that Meta has teamed up with the State Department to try to stop the sale of synthetic drugs online.
The opioid epidemic is a major public health issue that requires action from all parts of US society. That’s why @Meta has joined the Alliance to Prevent Drug Harms alongside the @StateDept @UNODC & @Snapchat to help disrupt the sale of synthetic drugs online + educate users…
— Nick Clegg (@nickclegg) March 15, 2024
The Journal’s report continued by noting that “Meta has enlisted outside entities to screen advertisers and content that might violate rules regarding the promotion and sale of drugs.”
One such outside entity is LegitScript, which “helps determine which companies can advertise and promote prescription medication on its platforms.”
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham also previously “had a partnership with Facebook to help flag problematic content related to drug sales,” but that partnership is no longer active.
The response to the Journal’s reporting was mixed.
Some said Meta should spend more time blocking drug sales instead of targeting “offensive” speech:
And I was put in a time out for saying the F word
— (@Nettie_RG) March 16, 2024
here is an idea, instead of Meta fact checkers out trying to sensor free speech they use their resources for drugs and human trafficking!
— Jody Dolan (@JodyDolan20) March 17, 2024
Others said they weren’t surprised by the Journal’s reporting because they themselves have witnessed drug sales on Meta:
This is 100% happening.
My daughters have shown me the emojis and terms used to move particular “items” or what to look for in peoples bios.
Instagram is real bad about this according to them.
— Kagens Looking Glass ™ (@KagensNews) March 17, 2024
People have bought and sold drugs around me using Facebook since we were all 12 years old in the state I am in… I’m watching them use Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook for it right now… are they going to punish meta and snap or kids that have almost no hope ahead of them anyway?
— Escoluffy (@Escoluffy) March 17, 2024
And finally, the last group of respondents argued that trying to target Meta or any other social media platform for drug sales is ridiculous:
What does that have to do with $META itself? Just because someone used their product to do something illegal? I don’t get it.
— Forex Options (@mingle_malinger) March 16, 2024
People use messenger to sell drugs, it’s nothing new. Unless they are directly involved in selling it then they might as well investigate literally every single cell phone and internet provider in the US.
— BasedCaliBob (@BasedCaliBob) March 16, 2024
In its report, the Journal also noted that the Alliance to Counter Crime Online has received a subpoena request related to the Meta investigation.
“As part of the investigation, prosecutors also subpoenaed the Algorithmic Transparency Institute, a project of the nonprofit National Conference on Citizenship, for research related to violative drug content on Meta Platforms,” according to the Journal.
“A special agent from the FDA’s criminal-investigations division delivered the subpoena, said Cameron Hickey, the conference’s chief executive. The group turned over to prosecutors thousands of telehealth company ads from Meta’s ad library, many featuring prescription drugs, which researchers collected at the request of the Journal in 2022, Hickey said,” the Journal reported.
During the pandemic, these companies reportedly flooded Meta’s properties, Facebook and Instagram, with ads for prescription drugs manufactured in other countries and without regulation.
“Employees and patients said in interviews that the ads contributed to the abuse of controlled substances such as Adderall,” according to the Journal.
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Vivek@bizpacreview.com
V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.
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