Congressman criticizes Meta for response to illegal drug advertising in apps

A Republican congressman criticized Meta on Thursday because of what lawmakers believe was an inadequate response to concerns about illegal drug advertising on Facebook and Instagram.

Michigan Rep. Tim Walberg called a letter Meta sent to a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Monday “unacceptable,” claiming the company failed to answer specific questions lawmakers posed to CEO Mark Zuckerberg in August.

The questions to Meta revolved around recent reports from the Wall Street Journal and the nonprofit Tech Transparency Project (TTP) that revealed a rise in Facebook and Instagram ads directing users to third-party services where they could buy prescription drugs and recreational drugs like cocaine. The lawmakers wanted the list of 15 questions to help determine the prevalence of illegal drug ads on Meta's apps, the number of views and interactions the ads received, how many minors engaged with them, and what actions Meta has taken against the groups responsible.

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

Meta declined to comment.

In her letter to lawmakers, Rachel Lieber, Meta's vice president of global legal strategy, said the company shares lawmakers' concerns “regarding the threat to public safety and health posed by the opioid epidemic.”

“We know this problem affects many Americans, often with tragic consequences, which is why the fight against online drug trafficking is bigger than any single platform,” Lieber said in the letter, obtained by CNBC. “At Meta, we remain committed to playing an important role in the solution.”

Lieber explained in the letter that Meta's policies “prohibit the buying and selling of illegal drugs through our apps” and that the company has various measures and resources it uses “to detect and remove drug-related content that violates our policies.”

Meta “has repeatedly evaded direct questions from members of Congress, the media and the public about the hundreds of illegal drug ads on its platform,” TTP director Katie Paul said in a statement.

“Meta is trying to deflect blame and take a whole-of-society approach,” Paul said. Meta “profits by providing paid amplification to drug trafficking sites that would not have the reach they do without Meta's advertising platforms.”

Walberg's comments come after Zuckerberg said during a live podcast recording in San Francisco that Meta needs to hit back harder “when people make claims about the impact of the tech industry or our company” that are not based on any facts.

“One of the things I look back on and regret is that I think we accepted other people's views on some things that they claimed we did wrong or were responsible for, even though I don't think that was the case,” Zuckerberg said at Tuesday's event.

Read Meta’s letter to lawmakers below: