A group of bipartisan federal lawmakers recently addressed a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressing their concerns about the company’s failure to prevent illicit drug advertisements from circulating on its platform. This comes in the wake of reports from The Wall Street Journal and the nonprofit Tech Transparency Project, which uncovered a surge of ads on Facebook and Instagram directing users to third-party services where they could purchase prescription pills, cocaine, and other recreational drugs.
The lawmakers referred to a report from March 16, 2024, by The Wall Street Journal, which revealed that U.S. federal prosecutors were investigating Meta for its role in facilitating the sale of illicit drugs. Despite these allegations, Meta did not take immediate action to remove the illicit content. Subsequently, on July 31, 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that Meta was still allowing ads on its platforms that steered users to online marketplaces for illegal drugs.
The lawmakers highlighted their concerns about Meta’s approval and monetization of these drug-related ads. They emphasized that the ads were not concealed on the dark web or private social media pages, making them easily accessible to media outlets and researchers. These advertisements contained explicit references to illegal drugs, which should have been flagged by Meta’s internal monitoring processes.
In their letter to Mark Zuckerberg, the lawmakers criticized Meta for using sensitive personal information to personalize content and advertisements on its platforms. Despite efforts by Congress to establish data privacy and security protections for Americans, Meta has consistently opposed such measures, citing potential disruptions to its personalized services. The lawmakers underscored the need for increased transparency and accountability from Meta in addressing these issues.
The lawmakers posed a series of 15 questions to Zuckerberg, seeking clarity on how Meta is addressing the proliferation of illicit drug advertisements on its platforms. They requested a response by September 6 to demonstrate Meta’s commitment to resolving this issue. Meta confirmed receipt of the letter and pledged to provide a comprehensive response in due course.