Meta facilitates drug sales to teens. Will anything change?

Published: August 20, 2024

Meta is facilitating drug sales to teens, but will this letter change anything?

By Movieguide® Contributor

Ads for illegal drugs have appeared on Facebook and Instagram, prompting a group of lawmakers from both parties to send a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to address the issue.

“House members cited recent reports from The Wall Street Journal and the nonprofit Tech Transparency Project (TTP) that exposed a flood of ads on Facebook and Instagram that directed users to third-party services where they could buy prescription pills, cocaine and other recreational drugs,” CNBC reported.

“On March 16, 2024, the Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. federal prosecutors were investigating Meta for facilitating the sale of illegal drugs,” the lawmakers wrote. “Rather than quickly address the problem and remove the illegal content entirely, the Wall Street Journal reported again on July 31, 2024, that Meta ‘placed ads on Facebook and Instagram that directed users to online marketplaces for illegal drugs.’”

TTP research in July found that more than 450 advertisements selling pharmaceuticals and other medicines have been placed on Instagram and Facebook in recent months.

In addition, studies conducted in 2021 and 2022 showed that Instagram enabled teens as young as 13 to find drugs for sale on the platform in just two clicks.

The accessibility and visibility of drugs to young people is a particular concern

“In 2022, an average of 22 minors ages 14 to 18 will die from drug overdoses each week in the United States,” the letter explains. This is not due to an increase in illegal drug use, but rather because the drug content is becoming more deadly due to the influx of fentanyl into the United States. Fentanyl is commonly found in counterfeit oxycodone, benzodiazepines, and other prescription pills — all of which have been found on your platforms, including in advertisements.”

Engadget reported: “The letter asks for details about Meta’s policies for enforcing rules against drug-related ads, as well as information about how often the reported ads were viewed and interacted with. It gives Meta a deadline of September 6 to respond.”

Meta claims it works with law enforcement to combat drug dealers, “criminals operating across multiple platforms and communities.”

The statement continues: “Our systems are designed to proactively detect and enforce infringing content, and we reject hundreds of thousands of ads that violate our drug policies. We will continue to invest resources and improve our enforcement of this type of content. Our hearts go out to those suffering the tragic consequences of this epidemic — it will take all of us working together to stop it.”

Movieguide® previously reported on how Facebook enables drug dealers:

The Wall Street Journal uncovered evidence that Facebook is being lax as drug cartels and human traffickers use its site to conduct illegal business.

WSJ reporters Justin Scheck, Newley Purnell and Jeff Horwitz highlighted the details of the documents in a report titled, “Facebook Employees Flag Drug Cartels, Human Traffickers. Company’s Response Is Weak, Documents Show.”

The report states that a former police officer investigated Facebook and sent a memo in which he made some shocking discoveries.

“It started with ‘Happy 2021 to everyone!!’ and then went into a new series of what he called ‘learning experiences.’ The biggest: a Mexican drug cartel used Facebook to recruit, train and pay hitmen,” the article said.

According to the WSJ, while Facebook clearly took note of the information, the company failed to take any significant, effective action.