Federal authorities are pursuing Facebook for possible drug trafficking.
U.S. prosecutors in Virginia are investigating Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, for its role in facilitating the sale of illegal drugs online. The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.
They issued subpoenas and began questioning whether Meta’s social media platforms were enabling and profiting from the sale of illegal drugs, officials told the Journal.
Prosecutors also asked for records related to “violent drug content on Meta’s platform and/or illegal sale of drugs through Meta’s platform,” according to a copy of the subpoena sent last year seen by Barron’s. It is said that there is
During the coronavirus pandemic, telemedicine companies used Facebook and Instagram to advertise prescription drugs to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and other medical conditions. Citing interviews with patients and employees, the magazine reported that the ads contributed to the abuse of controlled substances such as Adderall.
Sellers have recently been promoting fake versions of popular weight loss drugs on Metasite, including some that have not yet been approved by the FDA, the magazine reported. But even if Meta removes some of the flagged ads, new ads will appear immediately, the outlet said.
The subpoena was requested by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Ramseyer, who previously investigated Purdue Pharma’s marketing of OxyContin. He also appeared in the 2021 Hulu miniseries “Dope Sick,” about the opioid crisis in the United States.
The Food and Drug Administration is involved in the investigation, but the Food and Drug Administration and prosecutors declined to comment, adding that such investigations do not necessarily lead to formal charges of wrongdoing.
According to the WSJ, Meta said it is working with the State Department and others to stop the online sale of synthetic drugs.
“The sale of illegal drugs is against our policies and we are working to identify and remove this content from our services,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement to the media. “Meth actively cooperates with law enforcement to combat the sale and distribution of illegal drugs.”
“The opioid epidemic is a serious public health issue that requires action from all of American society,” said Nick Clegg, the company’s president of global affairs. Tweeted on Friday.
Legislators are hampered by Section 230 of the law in their efforts to hold third parties accountable for what they post on Big Tech platforms. Communications Decency Actstates that the online platform is not responsible for third-party posts; some exceptions.
