“Shocking Truth: How Facebook and Instagram Are Becoming Teens’ Digital Drug Dealers”

Illicit drug advertisements have been discovered on popular social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, prompting a group of bipartisan lawmakers to address their concerns to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

According to recent reports from The Wall Street Journal and the Tech Transparency Project (TTP), a significant number of ads on these platforms were found to be directing users to third-party services offering prescription pills, cocaine, and other recreational drugs, as reported by CNBC.

The lawmakers referenced a March 16, 2024 Wall Street Journal report, stating that U.S. federal prosecutors were investigating Meta for potentially facilitating illegal drug sales. Despite this, a follow-up report on July 31, 2024, indicated that Meta was still “running ads on Facebook and Instagram that steer users to online marketplaces for illegal drugs.”

TTP’s July investigation uncovered over 450 ads selling pharmaceuticals and other drugs on Instagram and Facebook within just a few months. Even more concerning, investigations conducted in 2021 and 2022 revealed that Instagram allowed teenagers as young as 13 to find drugs for sale on the platform with minimal effort.

The accessibility of drugs to young people is particularly alarming. The lawmakers’ letter points out that in 2022, an average of 22 minors aged 14 to 18 died weekly from drug overdoses in the U.S. This increase is attributed not to a rise in illicit drug use, but to the deadlier contents of drugs, particularly the influx of fentanyl into the country.

Engadget reported that the letter requests details about Meta’s policies for enforcing rules against drug-related ads and information about the viewership and interaction rates of these reported ads. Meta has been given until September 6 to respond.

In response, Meta stated that they work with law enforcement to combat drug dealers, describing them as “criminals who work across platforms and communities.” The company claims their systems are designed to proactively detect and enforce against violating content, rejecting hundreds of thousands of ads that breach their drug policies.

This is not the first time Meta has faced scrutiny over illegal activities on its platforms. A previous report by The Wall Street Journal uncovered evidence that Facebook had been complacent while drug cartels and human traffickers used the site for illegal business operations.

As the investigation unfolds, the focus remains on Meta’s responsibility in preventing the promotion and sale of illicit drugs on its platforms, particularly in light of the devastating impact on young users.