Rep. Tim Walberg Slams Meta for 'Unacceptable' Response to Illicit Drug Ads on Facebook and Instagram

Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) has criticized Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta for its inadequate response to a bipartisan group of lawmakers regarding illicit drug advertisements on Facebook and Instagram.

CNBC reports that Meta, the parent company of social media giants Facebook and Instagram, has come under fire from a Republican congressman for its “unacceptable” response to concerns raised by a bipartisan group of lawmakers about the proliferation of illicit drug advertisements on its platforms. Rep. Tim Walberg expressed his dissatisfaction with Meta’s letter sent to the lawmakers on Monday, claiming that the company failed to address the specific questions they had posed to CEO Mark Zuckerberg in August.

The lawmakers’ questions were prompted by recent reports from the Wall Street Journal and the nonprofit Tech Transparency Project (TTP), which revealed a significant number of Facebook and Instagram ads are directing users to third-party services where they could purchase prescription pills and recreational drugs, such as cocaine. The lawmakers sought to determine the prevalence of these illicit drug ads on Meta’s apps, the number of views and interactions they received, how many minors engaged with them, and the actions Meta has taken against the responsible groups.

In a statement, Walberg criticized Meta’s response, saying, “Meta’s response not only ignores most of the questions posed in our letter, but also refuses to acknowledge that these illicit drug ads were approved and monetized by Meta and allowed to run on their platforms. This is unacceptable. Meta must answer for its negligence and the resulting impact on users, especially children and teens.”

Meta declined to comment on the matter. However, in the letter sent to lawmakers, Rachel Lieber, Meta’s Vice President of Global Legal Strategy, stated that the company shares lawmakers’ concerns “about the public safety and health threat caused by the opioid epidemic.” Lieber emphasized that fighting drug trafficking online is a complex issue that extends beyond any single platform and that Meta remains committed to playing a significant role in finding a solution.

Lieber also explained that Meta’s policies strictly prohibit the buying and selling of illicit drugs across its apps and that the company employs various measures and resources to detect and remove drug-related content that violates these policies.

Katie Paul, the Director of TTP, accused Meta of repeatedly evading direct questions from members of Congress, the media, and the public about the hundreds of illicit drug ads on its platform. Paul stated, “Meta tries to deflect blame and push a ‘whole of society’ approach, but the company is profiting from providing paid amplification to drug trafficking sites that would not have the reach without Meta’s advertising platforms.”