Fake podcasts openly offering highly addictive drugs are rampant on Spotify — which is cracking down after a Business Insider investigation.
BI found 200 “podcasts” that advertised the sale of opioids and other drugs — often without a prescription, in violation of federal law — and directed users to websites posing as legitimate online pharmacies.
Many of the episodes BI reviewed were under a minute long and are less about content and more about pushing product, providing links to websites claiming to sell opioids like Tramadol and Oxycodone.
“Buy tramadol online in just one click from [redacted] without a prescription with legal delivery in the USA,” a voice said in one seven-second podcast episode.
Another episode said: “Want to buy 50mg of tramadol online? Learn how to get authentic pain relief medications with easy checkout, trusted pharmacies, and no delivery hassles. Buy tramadol online safely today.”
Spotify’s platform rules prohibit content that promotes the sale of regulated or illegal drugs. Some of the podcasts were apparently removed after an X user called out the issue on Tuesday and tagged Spotify CEO Daniel Ek. Others were removed after BI flagged them to Spotify. BI could not reach any of the websites for comment.
“We are constantly working to detect and remove violating content across our service,” the Spotify spokesperson told BI.
Some of the podcasts didn’t contain any audio. Instead, they relied on the episode description or even the cover art to list URLs or instructions on where to buy the drugs.
BI also found over 25 types of opioids, benzodiazepines, and weight-loss medications being advertised. They also included Opana, a potent opioid pulled from the US market in 2017 at the request of the Food and Drug Administration due to its high potential for abuse.
While many of these drugs are legally prescribed for chronic pain relief or anxiety and other medical conditions, some are also linked to high rates and risk of dependence, misuse, and overdose.
Some of the “online pharmacies” promoted in the podcasts claim to have “medical experts” who can review a customer’s condition, yet explicitly promise to deliver drugs “quickly” and “discreetly” without ever requesting a prescription. Some of the sites said they offered prescriptions via a phone appointment.
Federal law requires prescription medications to be dispensed only with a valid prescription from a licensed healthcare practitioner. Unregulated drug sales can create public health risks, especially when the drugs sold could be counterfeit, laced with unknown substances, or expired.
Although the websites viewed by BI take users to a payment page, it is not clear whether they actually deliver the drugs. Customer reviews for some of the sites claim they did not receive the drugs they paid for.
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