‘Vibrant oasis’ of chemical-eating creatures found in Pacific depths
Scientists have discovered thriving animal communities living off chemicals, not sunlight, at record depths in the Pacific Ocean’s Kuril-Kamchatka a...
Spotify is under renewed scrutiny after dozens of fake podcast pages promoting the sale of prescription drugs without prescriptions were discovered on its platform, violating U.S. law and the streaming giant’s own content policies.
A CNN investigation revealed that searches for terms like “Adderall,” “Xanax,” “Valium,” and “Percocet” on Spotify yielded not only legitimate health and wellness discussions, but also spam podcasts linking directly to online pharmacies, some claiming to deliver addictive medications such as Oxycodone, Vicodin, and Methadone with “FDA-approved delivery without prescription.”
Among the fraudulent listings was a podcast titled “My Adderall Store,” which directed users to buy Adderall and other medications from external websites. One show, “Xtrapharma.com,” featured computerized voices advertising narcotics in under 10-second episodes. Another listed as “Order Xanax 2 mg Online Big Deal On Christmas Season” offered “government approved medicine” without any verification process.
After CNN flagged 26 such podcasts, Spotify quickly removed them, stating they violated its platform rules. However, more fake podcasts remained active the next day, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the platform’s moderation systems.
“We are constantly working to detect and remove violating content across our service,” a Spotify spokesperson said in a statement, emphasizing that both automated detection and human moderation are used to enforce content rules.
Spotify’s platform rules prohibit content that promotes the illicit sale of regulated substances or engages in spam-like behavior. Its creator guidelines also warn against mass publishing content solely to promote services, especially those considered harmful or illegal.
Despite those rules, CNN was able to identify dozens of remaining podcast pages promoting prescription drug sales, many of which had been live for months. None appeared to have user ratings, making the extent of their reach unclear.
The exposure comes amid growing concern over the ease with which teens and adults can access dangerous or counterfeit drugs online. Parents and lawmakers have pressed tech platforms to curb these activities after multiple overdose deaths were linked to pills purchased from unregulated sites.
“Anywhere people can post user-generated content, you will find … people selling drugs,” said Sarah Gardner, CEO of the Heat Initiative, a nonprofit advocating for child safety online. “It’s really about what the companies do to combat it.”
The fake podcast listings reflect broader challenges for platforms like Spotify as AI tools make it easier to mass-produce audio content, often with synthetic voices, in ways that evade traditional content moderation. Podcasts, experts say, are a growing blind spot in online safety due to the inherent difficulty of reviewing audio compared to text or images.
Federal agencies including the FDA and DOJ have long warned about the dangers of online pharmacies operating outside legal frameworks. In 2011, Google paid $500 million in fines for enabling ads from Canadian online pharmacies targeting U.S. consumers.
Tech platforms, however, are often shielded from liability for user-posted content under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a protection critics say has slowed enforcement against illicit activities.
This latest controversy adds to Spotify’s troubled history with health-related content, including backlash over Joe Rogan’s podcast during the COVID-19 pandemic. While Spotify responded at the time with content advisories and moderation reforms, experts say this latest episode shows the platform must go further.
“What’s true is that this is preventable,” said Katie Paul, director of the Tech Transparency Project. “The tools exist, the precedent is there. It’s a matter of how seriously the company wants to take user safety.”
As of Friday, searches on Spotify still returned several podcast results promoting unregulated drug sales, even as the company faces increasing public and regulatory pressure to tighten enforcement and protect users from illegal and dangerous content.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
'Superman' continued to dominate the summer box office, pulling in another $57.25 million in its second weekend, as theatres welcome a wave of blockbuster competition following a challenging few years for the film industry.
AnewZ and Agenzia di Stampa Italpress have signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation to develop and strengthen ties in the media sector.
President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the United States will impose a 25% tariff on imports from India starting August 1, along with an additional, unspecified penalty.
Azerbaijan will begin supplying 6 million cubic metres of gas to Syria this week under a swap deal with Türkiye, officials said, aiming to boost electricity generation in the war-torn country.
Kazakhstan has once again come into the geopolitical spotlight, this time with American interests front and center.
Thailand has accused Cambodian forces of opening fire across the disputed frontier on Wednesday, the second reported violation since a Malaysia-brokered truce took effect at midnight on Monday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment