US Congressmen demanded Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg disclose details concerning ads for opioids and illicit drugs that have appeared on his social media platforms.
The Tech Transparency Project (TTP), a nonprofit research group, recently reported that blatant advertisements for illegal drugs such as OxyContin and cocaine were found in Meta’s ad library.
A letter signed by 19 lawmakers has now pressured Zuckerberg for more information, citing disturbing findings released by the TTP and The Wall Street Journal.
“Meta appears to have continued to shirk its social responsibility and defy its own community guidelines,” the letter stated. “What is particularly egregious about this instance is that these were not user-generated posts on the dark web, but advertisements approved and monetized by Meta.”
According to the TTP’s March investigation, over 450 ads promoting a variety of illegal drugs were discovered on Meta platforms, including Instagram and Facebook.
Many of the ads were blatant in their approach, displaying images of prescription bottles or cocaine and encouraging users to place orders.
The TTP conducted its investigation by searching Meta’s Ad Library using terms such as “OxyContin,” “Vicodin,” and “pure coke.”
In their letter, lawmakers demanded answers from Zuckerberg by September 6. Among the questions posed were how many illicit drug ads Meta has run, what actions the company has taken to address them, and whether users were targeted based on personal health information.
In response to an inquiry by AFP, a Meta spokesperson said the company planned to respond to the letter.
The spokesperson emphasized that Meta’s systems are designed to proactively detect and remove violating content and that hundreds of thousands of ads are rejected each year for violating drug policies.
“Drug dealers are criminals who work across platforms and communities, which is why we work with law enforcement to combat this activity,” the spokesperson added. Meta continues to invest in improving its ability to detect and eliminate illegal drug ads from its platforms.