Members of Congress have called on Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg to provide them with detailed information about ads for opiates and other illegal substances on the tech giant's platform.
A letter signed by 19 lawmakers demanded details about such ads in light of troubling reports by the Tech Transparency Project and the Wall Street Journal.
"Meta appears to continue to shirk its social responsibility and not follow its own community guidelines," the letter said.
"What's particularly appalling about this case is that it's not user-generated content on the dark web or on private social media pages, but rather, ads approved and monetized by Meta."
In March, the Technology Transparency Project reported that it had found more than 450 ads on Instagram and Facebook selling a range of illegal substances.
According to the nonprofit research group, many of the ads "do not hide their intent," showing pictures of bottles of prescription drugs or bricks of cocaine and encouraging people to place orders.
The investigation involved searching Meta's ad library for terms including "OxyContin," "Vicodin" and "pure coke," TTP reported.
The letter from members of Congress to Zuckerberg asks for answers from Zuckerberg by September 6.
Meta plans to respond to the letter. IBGNES
