According to report, during the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth companies began running ads on Meta platforms, especially Facebook, advocating for drugs for the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and other medical conditions.
These medicines are often not even approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The investigators, after interviewing patients and employees, reported that ads on social media websites have led to an increase in the overuse of substances such as "Adderall".As per the report, the prosecutors have asked for records related to "violative drug content on Meta’s platforms and the illicit sale of drugs via Meta's platforms".They further added that even when Meta removes some of these ads, they often pop up again.In response, Meta has issued a statement, saying, they are working with the State Department to stop the sale of illegal drugs and substances.A spokesman for Meta said, "The sale of illicit drugs is against our policies and we work to find and remove this content from our services. Meta proactively cooperates with law enforcement authorities to help combat the sale and distribution of illicit drugs."