Report: US Investigating Meta for Involvement in Illegal Drug Sales
U.S. prosecutors in Virginia are investigating whether Facebook parent Meta’s social media platforms facilitated and profited from illegal drug sales, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday, citing documents and people familiar with the matter.
Prosecutors issued subpoenas last year and have asked questions as part of a criminal grand jury investigation, the report said, adding that they have also requested information on drug content or illegal drug sales through Meta’s platforms.
The Food and Drug Administration has also helped in the investigation, the paper added. It noted that investigations do not always lead to charges of wrongdoing.
The newspaper quoted Meta’s spokesperson in its statement: “The sale of illegal drugs is against our policies and we are working to find and remove this content from our services”.
“Meta proactively works with law enforcement to help combat the sale and distribution of illegal drugs,” he added.
The attorney general’s office and an FDA spokeswoman declined to comment to the WSJ.
Meta, the FDA and the Virginia attorney general did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
Meta’s head of global affairs, Nick Clegg, said on social media X on Friday that Meta has joined forces with the US State Department, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and Snapchat to help disrupt the sale of synthetic drugs online and educate users. related risks.
