Streaming service, Spotify, is hastily eliminating a multitude of podcasts that appear to be advocating for the illegal online purchase of prescription drugs.
Navigating the Spotify podcast section can lead you to a mixed bag of content – health podcasts about ADHD, recovery from addiction, and comedy shows that casually discuss using medication like Adderall. Yet, beware of the pseudo-podcasts that lure users to potential danger. These fraudulent pages, found within Spotify's first 50 suggested results, advertise the sale of various prescription drugs, from Methadone to Ambien, with some even claiming no prescription is needed.
These fake podcasts, such as "My Adderall Store," with links to illicit drug sites in the episode description, are nothing more than spam or, worse, channels leading to websites that break the law. CNN recently found dozens of these deceptive podcasts on Spotify, and even afterremoveing the ones they reported, more appeared the next day.
As parents call for tech giants to stamp out the sale of counterfeit or illicit drugs to youngsters, the revelations about Spotify's moderation capabilities raise concerns. With AI making content creation easier than ever, it's becoming harder to distinguish genuine podcasts from the feigned ones.
Lauren Balik, a tech blogger, urged Spotify CEO Daniel Ek to address this issue, while Business Insider published a report on the issue, stating they flagged hundreds of the podcasts that Spotify subsequently removed. Even after removing the fake podcasts, new ones continued to surface.
Federal law protects tech platforms from liability over user-generated content, but some argue there should be more regulations in place. With easy-to-use text-to-speech tools, creating large volumes of spammy content is now just a click away.
One podcast, titled "John Elizabeth," had dozens of episodes featuring a computer-generated voice promoting various drugs. Another, called "Xtrapharma.com," advertised Xanax, Percocet, Oxycontin, or Hydrocodone for sale "with FDA-approved delivery without prescription."
These findings underscore the need for tech platforms to strengthen their moderation capabilities, lest they turn a blind eye to the dangerous consequences of these illicit activities. Joe Rogan's "The Joe Rogan Experience," which spread false claims about vaccines and the pandemic, serves as a case study, prompting Spotify to add content advisories to all episodes discussing COVID-19 and direct users to trusted sources.
While Spotify maintains content guidelines prohibiting explicit content, hate speech, illegal content, and spam, the proliferation of fake podcasts highlights the need for increased vigilance and stricter enforcement. It's time for Spotify, and other tech platforms, to rise to the challenge and ensure a safer, more honest experience for their users.
- The deceptive podcasts on Spotify, such as "My Adderall Store" and "Xtrapharma.com," are disguised as genuine ones but promote the illegal sale of prescription drugs like Methadone, Ambien, and others, putting users at potential danger.
- As the tech industry faces scrutiny over the sale of counterfeit or illicit drugs, the ease of creating content with AI is making it harder to distinguish between genuine and fake podcasts, such as "John Elizabeth" and "The Joe Rogan Experience," which spread false claims about vaccines and the pandemic.
- Despite Spotify's content guidelines prohibiting spam and explicit content, the proliferation of fake podcasts like the ones mentioned above highlights the need for increased vigilance and stricter enforcement to ensure a safer and more honest experience for users.
- The need for tech platforms, including Spotify, to strengthen their moderation capabilities is becoming increasingly crucial as the accessibility of text-to-speech tools allows for the creation of large volumes of spammy or deceptive content in areas such as health and wellness, education, and general news, as well as in specific sectors like crime and justice and sports.
