Spotify's drug podcasts face Congressional hearing

Photo Credit: Myriam Zilles

Senator Maggie Hassan is seeking more information from Spotify into the handling of recently discovered fake podcasts peddling real drugs on the platform.

Spotify removed dozens of podcasts earlier this week that blatantly promoted online illegal pharmacies selling drugs like Adderall and Oxycontin without a prescription. More than 200 podcasts were removed from the platform, but only after a media frenzy highlighting just how prolific the practice of drug-peddling had become.

Spotify says the podcasts violated its rules and threatened to direct users to spammy and potentially illegal websites. U.S. law prohibits the selling of controlled substances online without a prescription. Hassan (D-NH) is a ranking member of the Joint Economic Committee and is seeking information about how these fake podcasts were able to proliferate on Spotify to the point that several dozen were removed in the action.

She is also seeking more information about how Spotify plans to stop fraudsters from continuing to upload podcasts advertising drugs to young people. “Far too many parents have experienced the unimaginable pain of losing their child to an accidental overdose,” Hassan said in a statement to CNN.

“These tragedies can often occur when a teen buys online a counterfeit pill—like Xanax or Adderall—that is actually laced with fentanyl, leading to devastating consequences. Spotify has a responsibility to significantly ramp up its efforts to stop criminals from using the platform to facilitate deadly drug sales to anyone—especially teens.”

Hassan’s letter to the media giant seeks more information about the content that it has taken down, how many users interacted with Spotify’s drug podcasts before their removal, and whether the company earned revenue from these podcasts appearing on the digital service provider (DSP).

It also seeks more information about Spotify’s moderation tools and practices to identify drug-related content and whether it will make any updates to these practices following reports of the illicit content. Spotify must respond by June 12.

“We are constantly working to detect and remove violating content across our service,” a Spotify spokesperson said last week after media reports.