• Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Investing
  • Stock
Stock

Lawmakers ask Mark Zuckerberg to show how Facebook, Instagram are addressing illicit drug ads

by August 16, 2024
written by August 16, 2024

A bipartisan group of lawmakers sent Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg a letter on Thursday expressing concern that the company is failing to prevent illicit drug advertisements from running on its platform.

The House members cited recent reports from The Wall Street Journal and nonprofit Tech Transparency Project, which uncovered a flood of ads on Facebook and Instagram that pointed users to third-party services where they could purchase prescription pills, cocaine and other recreational drugs.

“On March 16, 2024, the Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. federal prosecutors have been investigating Meta for facilitating the sale of illicit drugs,” the lawmakers wrote. “Instead of quickly addressing the issue and fully removing the illicit content, on July 31, 2024, the Wall Street Journal again reported that Meta was ‘“running ads on Facebook and Instagram that steer users to online marketplaces for illegal drugs.’”

Most troubling, they wrote, is that Meta continues to run ads despite the company facing an investigation by U.S. federal prosecutors “for facilitating the sale of illicit drugs.”

The letter’s 19 authors include Reps. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) and Lori Trahan (D-Mass.). They noted that the illicit drug ads were “approved and monetized by Meta” and that they were not hidden on the dark web or private social media pages. Media outlets and researchers could easily find the ads, which contained “contained blatant references to illegal drugs,” while Meta’s internal processes apparently missed them.

“Time and time again we have heard from Meta that users come to your platforms because they like the personalization and experiences you provide, and you use sensitive personal information to direct such personalization through content and advertisements,” the lawmakers wrote. “We in Congress, on multiple occasions, have worked to establish data privacy and security protections for Americans but have, in each instance, been met with friction and opposition from Meta with claims that we would drastically disrupt this personalization you are providing.”

They sent Zuckerberg a list of 15 questions intended to uncover more details about how Meta is addressing the problem, and asked him to respond by Sept. 6.

Meta confirmed receipt of the letter and said it plans to respond. The company shared with CNBC the same statement it gave the Journal for its initial story.

“Drug dealers are criminals who work across platforms and communities, which is why we work with law enforcement to help combat this activity. Our systems are designed to proactively detect and enforce against violating content, and we reject hundreds of thousands of ads for violating our drug policies. We continue to invest resources and further improve our enforcement on this kind of content. Our hearts go out to those suffering from the tragic consequences of this epidemic — it requires all of us to work together to stop it.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
0 comment
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

previous post
Biden says admin is ‘closer than we’ve ever been’ to cease-fire deal in Middle East
next post
Expert dismisses Russian commander’s ‘highly unlikely’ claim about crucial military advantage over US

related articles

JPMorgan marks 1,000th branch opening since 2018 expansion...

August 1, 2025

Apple crushes Wall Street expectations as iPhone sales...

August 1, 2025

Ontario cancels internet deal with Musk’s Starlink as...

July 31, 2025

Trump ends de minimis exemption for global low-cost...

July 31, 2025

Recall warns some Celsius energy drink cans accidentally...

July 31, 2025

Union Pacific to buy Norfolk in $85 billion...

July 29, 2025

Things are getting better at Boeing under CEO...

July 29, 2025

Elon Musk confirms Tesla has signed a $16.5...

July 28, 2025

Palantir joins list of 20 most valuable U.S....

July 26, 2025

FCC greenlights Paramount’s $8 billion merger with entertainment...

July 25, 2025
Enter Your Information Below To Receive Free Trading Ideas, Latest News, And Articles.


Your information is secure and your privacy is protected. By opting in you agree to receive emails from us. Remember that you can opt-out any time, we hate spam too!

Latest News

  • ‘It’s wrong’: Hawley warns Senate GOP not to boot Americans from Medicaid in Trump megabill

    June 16, 2025
  • EURUSD and GBPUSD: GBPUSD rises to a new high on Friday

    August 16, 2024
  • Conservatives rally around Hegseth after he turns tables on Hillary Clinton with Russia ‘reset’ photo

    March 3, 2025
  • Sandra Lee shares breaking point in split from Andrew Cuomo: ‘Every window and door closed’

    August 6, 2024
  • Biden endorses Kamala Harris after bowing out of 2024 race

    July 21, 2024

Popular Posts

  • 1

    Secret Service admits leaning on ‘state and local partners’ after claim it ignored Trump team’s past requests

    July 21, 2024
  • 2

    Five more House Democrats call on Biden to drop out, third US senator

    July 19, 2024
  • 3

    Elon and Vivek should tackle US funding for this boondoogle organization and score a multimillion dollar win

    December 4, 2024
  • 4

    Forex Profit Calculator: Maximize Your Trading Potential

    July 10, 2024
  • 5

    Biden calls to ‘lower the temperature’ then bashes Trump in NAACP speech

    July 17, 2024

Categories

  • Economy (829)
  • Editor's Pick (5,603)
  • Investing (634)
  • Stock (867)

Latest Posts

  • Indian Prime Minister Modi takes page from Trump, says ‘make India great again,’ or ‘MIGA’

    February 14, 2025
  • Hegseth arrives for 1st day at Pentagon stressing Defense’s mission to protect ‘sovereign territory of the US’

    January 27, 2025
  • Biden’s Venezuela policy feeds Maduro strongman image, emboldens dictator in election controversy: Rubio

    August 2, 2024

Recent Posts

  • Harris’ support for Palestinian state rewards terrorism, experts warn

    September 12, 2024
  • China open to talks with Trump admin on lowering tariffs, ministry says

    May 2, 2025
  • The S&P 500 and Nasdaq are driving the recovery

    July 30, 2024

Editor’s Pick

  • Starbucks’ new CEO will supercommute 1,000 miles from California to Seattle

    August 21, 2024
  • ‘Not My Presidents Day’ protests erupt across the country

    February 18, 2025
  • The national debt is about to hit a terrifying number no matter what we do

    March 7, 2025
  • About us
  • Contacts
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Disclaimer: moneyrisetoday.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

Copyright © 2025 moneyrisetoday.com | All Rights Reserved

Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Investing
  • Stock