This week, during a House Energy and Commerce hearing with executives from tech giants Facebook, Google, and Twitter, Representative David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-W.Va.) grilled Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the continued presence of controlled substances for sale on his platforms.
McKinley stated that Zuckerberg should be held accountable for his inability to control illicit sales of drugs on Instagram:
“You’re still allowing bad actors to push pills on your site. Look it didn’t take long for our staff to find numerous examples. For example, here’s Oxycodone that’s being sold on your site, here’s Ritalin that’s being sold on your site, here’s Xanax and Adderall that’s being sold on your site. These posts are not new they’ve been active since last fall. If we can find posts this easily, shame on you for not finding them for yourself….So why shouldn’t you be held liable as well? Do you think you’re above the law? You’re knowingly allowing this poison to be sold on your platform into our communities, to our children, to our vulnerable adults.”