Congress Seeks Answers from Mark Zuckerberg on Drug Ads in Social Media
Congress Calls for Accountability on Drug Advertisements
Nineteen members of Congress are pushing Mark Zuckerberg to explain why Meta has allowed ads for cocaine, ecstasy, and other drugs to be shown on Facebook and Instagram. The letter comes after the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) uncovered hundreds of such ads on the company’s platform.
Details of the Inquiries
- The letter references TTP’s report, identifying 450 ads marketing pharmaceutical and illegal drugs.
- Many ads featured images of prescription bottles and illegal drugs.
- These ads redirected users to external apps like Telegram.
The lawmakers express that Meta has neglected its social responsibility, enabling advertisements that blatantly violate community guidelines. They seek clarity on how such ads bypassed Meta’s internal processes while requesting insights into the policies against drug-related ads.
Meta's Response
A spokesperson for Meta indicated plans to respond, asserting that they reject hundreds of thousands of ads for breaching their drug policies.
This article was prepared using information from open sources in accordance with the principles of Ethical Policy. The editorial team is not responsible for absolute accuracy, as it relies on data from the sources referenced.