Spotify misused its platform for online drug distribution

• Spotify hosts hundreds of fake podcasts advertising drugs.
• These podcasts violate Spotify’s terms and conditions, but still pass through moderation.
• Spotify removed most of these, recognizing the potential impact of U.S. anti-drug policies.

Spotify hosts a large number of fake podcasts, reportedly in the hundreds, that serve as advertisements for selling drugs.

Over the past week, CNN and Business Insider revealed that more than 200 podcasts on Spotify were being used to advertise drugs. These podcasts violate Spotify’s terms and conditions, yet they still manage to slip through the platform’s moderation.

These podcasts often contain no real audio, and some use computer-generated voices for less than a minute. After the revelations, Spotify removed most of them, recognizing that the U.S.’s strict anti-drug policies could land the platform in serious trouble.

Some podcasts carried names like “My Adderall Store” and “Order Codeine Online”. Their descriptions typically included details and links to buy drugs like Xanax, Oxycodone, and Tramadol without a prescription.

These fake podcasts don’t stay hidden; some even appear in the top search results for specific drugs, right next to legitimate podcasts about addiction and recovery. This situation raises serious concerns, as buying fake prescription drugs online poses major risks and has become a growing public health issue.

People can easily find these fake podcasts, with some even appearing at the top of search results for drug names. They show up alongside legitimate podcasts that offer help for addiction.

Buying fake drugs online poses a serious health risk, and overdose deaths linked to counterfeit pills have increased. Spotify stated that they are actively working to find and remove these podcasts by improving their auto-detection systems.