A senator is pressing Spotify for explanations regarding the management of counterfeit podcasts that promoted opioids and other prescription medications.
Senator's Demand for Accountability
Senator Maggie Hassan's Call for Action
Following a revealing Business Insider investigation uncovering 200 fraudulent podcasts on Spotify advocating the sale of pills, often without a prescription, Senator Maggie Hassan from New Hampshire urged the digital music and podcast platform to enhance its content moderation practices.
Response and Removal of Fake Content
Effective Content Moderation
After Business Insider had previously identified some of the problematic podcasts to Spotify, the platform took action by removing them.
"I urge you to take action to prevent fake podcasts that facilitate the illicit sale of drugs — including those that could contain fentanyl — from appearing on your platform," expressed the two-term Democratic senator in a letter to Spotify's CEO, Daniel Ek.
"Addressing these threats requires an all-hands-on-deck approach, and based on recent reports, Spotify has not exercised the level of diligence needed," she emphasized.
Spotify has yet to respond to the request for comments. However, a Spotify spokesperson previously stated, "We are constantly working to detect and remove violating content across our service," in response to BI's investigation.
Government Efforts Against Opioid Abuse
Fighting the Opioid Crisis
Various lawmakers in the United States have been actively combatting opioid abuse, particularly the rising concern of fentanyl.
Fentanyl trafficking remains a significant challenge for President Donald Trump, who has accused Mexico, Canada, and China of allowing this drug into the United States. Tariffs were imposed by Trump on these countries to compel them to take stronger actions against fentanyl trafficking.
Senator Hassan, a former governor, recounted the heartbreaking conversations she's had with constituents who have lost loved ones to drug overdoses in her state.
"The scale of the fentanyl crisis necessitates collaboration among law enforcement, online platforms, and international partners to safeguard our communities," she stressed.
Request for Information and Accountability
Transparency and Accountability
Hassan also sought details from Spotify regarding its content moderation tools, policies, the number of drug-related podcasts removed, and any revenue generated from these podcasts.
As a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee, the senator granted Spotify until June 12 to provide answers to her inquiries.
"We are constantly working to detect and remove violating content across our service," reiterated a Spotify spokesperson in response to Business Insider's investigation.
For the full letter, you can access it here.
—————————————————————————————————————————————
By: insider@insider.com (John L. Dorman)
Title: Discover the Letter a Senator Sent to Spotify Regarding 200 Fake Podcasts Selling Opioids
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/spotify-fake-podcast-opioids-maggie-hassan-2025-5
Published Date: Sat, 24 May 2025 18:31:51 +0000
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