Meta ran more than 450 paid advertisements across its platforms – including Facebook and Instagram – in a mere 15 weeks for the sale of prescription and recreational drugs, according to a new investigation.
That’s despite Mark Zuckerberg’s company joining the Alliance to Prevent Drug Harms in March and, at the same time, pledging to “disrupt the sale of synthetic drugs online.”
In addition to ads on Instagram and Facebook for highly addictive opioids such as codeine and OxyContin, the research also surfaced posts appearing to market recreational drugs MDMA and ecstasy.
452 Ads for Drugs
The investigation was carried out by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) – a research initiative that “seeks to hold large technology companies accountable.”
It searched for ads selling drugs on Meta’s platforms in the 15 weeks from March 1st this year, specifically searching for terms such as ‘OxyContin,’ ‘Xanax,’ ‘codeine’ and ‘pure coke.’ It also looked for ad content that included the terms ‘WhatsApp’ and ‘t.me’ (i.e. Telegram), on the basis that the encrypted messaging apps are often used by online drug dealers looking to protect their identities.
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Over the course of that period, TTP identified a total of 452 ads for drugs across Meta’s Instagram, Facebook, Messenger and Audience Network platforms. 405 were discovered on Instagram.
The reach of those combined ads, TTP says, amounts to in excess of 2.5 million users.
However, the organization estimates that this is only a fraction of the total ads – and thus users reached – with the limitations of Meta’s Ad Library meaning it was unable to capture further examples.
Meta Violating Its Own Policies
The research findings are an embarrassment for Meta and its President of Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, after he announced on March 15th that the company had joined the Alliance to Prevent Drug Harms.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he branded the “opioid epidemic as a major public health issue that requires action from all parts of US society.”
The opioid epidemic is a major public health issue that requires action from all parts of US society. That’s why @Meta has joined the Alliance to Prevent Drug Harms alongside the @StateDept @UNODC & @Snapchat to help disrupt the sale of synthetic drugs online + educate users…
— Nick Clegg (@nickclegg) March 15, 2024
He also announced that the company would join up with the Department of State, UN Office on Drugs & Crime, and Snapchat to “help disrupt the sale of synthetic drugs online + educate users about the risks.”
The volume of drugs ads still proliferating on Meta’s platforms violates the company’s own policies as well as US law, TTP says. They’re in breach, for example, of Facebook’s Community Standards to prevent the attempt to sell high-risk and non-medicinal drugs.
“Ads must not promote the sale or use of illicit or recreational drugs, or other unsafe substances, products or supplements, as determined by Meta at its sole discretion.” – Meta Advertising Standards
Recreational Drugs and Unsafe Substances
The TTP includes various examples of the different kinds of ads that it discovered during its investigation, including one that clearly shows a images of OxyContin and Xanax packages.
In another, there are piles of brightly coloured pills and crystals with the words ‘MDMA’ and ‘Ecstasy’ next to them.
“The presence of these ads on Meta platforms raises questions about statements by Meta executives about how the company is doing its utmost to keep users safe.” – Tech Transparency Project
While an ad purporting to be from ‘A2X Pharmacy’ markets a range of drugs – including Oxy, Xanax, Fentanyl – offers a 50% discount and free, overnight delivery.
