FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 15, 2024

Contact: Michael Clauw, mclauw@campaignforaccountability.org, 202.780.5750

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, a bipartisan group of 19 members of Congress sent a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressing deep concern with recent findings published by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) and the Wall Street Journal that showed the prevalence of illicit drug advertisements on his company’s platforms.

TTP director Katie Paul issued the following statement in response to today’s letter:

“Meta has policies that prohibit ads for illicit drugs, but it doesn’t follow through on enforcement. As TTP’s research has shown, drug dealers can easily run ads on Facebook and Instagram that sell everything from opioids to ecstasy to cocaine. This flies in the face of assurances by Meta executives that they’re doing everything they can to make the platforms safe for users. Meta is allowing its advertising engine—which generates the bulk of its profits—to be used as tool for drug dealers to reach a vast online customer base around the world. This bipartisan letter is an important step toward getting some accountability from Meta on its failure to address this critical safety issue.”

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TTP is a research initiative of Campaign for Accountability, a nonpartisan, nonprofit watchdog organization that uses research, litigation, and aggressive communications to expose misconduct and malfeasance in public life and hold those who act at the expense of the public good accountable for their actions.