US lawmakers accuse Meta of approving ads on hard drugs targeted at teens, kids

A bipartisan group of 19 US lawmakers has voiced serious concerns over Meta’s handling of advertisements for illicit drugs that have been targeted at teens and children on its platforms.

In an open letter to Meta, the lawmakers criticised the company for failing to prevent “blatant” drug ads from appearing on Instagram and Facebook, despite Meta’s own policies against such content. The letter is the latest in a series of criticisms levelled against the social media giant, highlighting the ongoing issue of child safety on its platforms.

The scrutiny on Meta has intensified this year, following reports that federal prosecutors are investigating whether the company has indirectly profited from drug sales on its platforms.

These sales allegedly targeted young users, raising alarms about the potential harm to minors. The legislators expressed their outrage that these ads were not user-generated content but were approved and monetised by Meta itself, making the situation even more concerning.

Earlier this year, Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared before the US Senate in a hearing focused on child safety on social media. During the hearing, Zuckerberg took the unusual step of apologising directly to a gallery of parents whose children had been victims of online abuse, some of whom had tragically taken their own lives.

The lawmakers referenced this apology in their letter, noting that despite Zuckerberg’s assurances and the company’s community standards, Meta continued to allow ads promoting the sale of illegal drugs, including OxyContin, MDMA, cocaine, and other substances, to run throughout 2024.

Among the lawmakers leading the charge are Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), the House minority whip, and Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas), vice chair of the House subcommittee on telecommunications and technology.

They emphasised the particularly egregious nature of this situation, pointing out that these were not hidden posts on the dark web or private pages but were, in fact, advertisements approved by Meta.

The lawmakers expressed deep frustration that Meta, a company with significant resources and technological capabilities, allowed such harmful content to be promoted to vulnerable users, particularly minors.

In response to the criticism, Meta issued a statement to CNBC, asserting that its systems actively reject hundreds of thousands of ads for violating its drug policies. The company also highlighted its collaboration with law enforcement to combat criminal activity on its platforms, acknowledging the challenges posed by drug dealers who operate across multiple platforms and communities.

However, these reassurances have done little to quell concerns. Reports from earlier this year, including one by The Wall Street Journal, revealed that federal prosecutors were investigating whether Meta had facilitated or even profited from the sale of illicit drugs on Instagram and Facebook.

While Meta claimed to be cooperating with authorities to curb illegal transactions, subsequent reports indicated that the problem persisted. In July, The Wall Street Journal published another report showing that Meta’s platforms were still running ads for illegal substances, including cocaine and prescription opioids.

The Tech Transparency Project, a watchdog group, also conducted an investigation around the same time, uncovering over 450 ads on Instagram and Facebook promoting pharmaceutical and other drugs. The ads often featured images of pills, powders, and bricks of cocaine, and directed users to contact the sellers through encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp or Telegram.

The lawmakers concluded their letter by accusing Meta of shirking its social responsibility and failing to uphold its own community guidelines. They stressed that protecting users, particularly children and teenagers, is a top priority and warned that Meta’s continued negligence in this area cannot go unaddressed.

The pressure is mounting on Meta to take more decisive action to prevent its platforms from becoming conduits for illegal drug sales, especially those that target young, impressionable users.