Spotify has faced severe backlash as a disturbing loophole has allowed podcasts to promote illegal drugs and online pharmacies.
These shows, initially advertising prescription drugs such as Adderall or Xanax, were actually promoting powerful medications without requiring a valid prescription, which is illegal under US regulations.
Impersonating legitimate wellness content, certain podcasts used AI-generated voices to advertise drugs including Methadone, Vicodin, and Ocycodone.
Listeners were re-directed to shady pharmacy websites with "FDA-approved delivery" without any medical affiliation.
Some podcasts had been streaming under disturbing names including Order Xnax 2 mg Online Big Deal On Christmas Season, My Adderall Store, and Xtrapharma.com.
Many had direct link in their descriptions, guiding users to get their hands on controlled substances outside legal channels.
Searching terms such as Xanax and Adderall often turned up numerous drug-promoting podcasts in the top results.
Spotify questionable content moderation process
In several cases, the show remained active on the platform for weeks and months, raising questions about Spotify content moderation processes.
Reportedly, the platform's system relay heavily on user reports and external attention rather than timely content inspection and identifying the problematic content internally.
While Spotify is doing it's part in removing the shows, new ones continue to appear almost immediately.
In a public address, Spotify reaffirmed it's commitment to remove illegal and spam content, adding that it's uses both automated systems and human moderators to monitor podcasts.
