Meta Has Run Hundreds of Ads for Cocaine, Opioids and Other Drugs

July 31, 2024

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(Wall Street Journal) – Instagram and Facebook, already under federal investigation, still run ads for illegal drugs.

Meta Platforms is running ads on Facebook and Instagram that steer users to online marketplaces for illegal drugs, months after The Wall Street Journal first reported that the social-media giant was facing a federal investigation over the practice.

The company has continued to collect revenue from ads that violate its policies, which ban promoting the sale of illicit or recreational drugs. A review by the Journal in July found dozens of ads marketing illegal substances such as cocaine and prescription opioids, including as recently as Friday. A separate analysis over recent months by an industry watchdog group found hundreds of such ads. (Read More)