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DNew research shows that young Instagram users are still able to access drug-related content quickly, despite some security concerns and increased political pressure. A report from the Tech Transparency Project, an independent tech watchdog, found that some accounts were actually selling illegal substances, such as MDMA.
While Instagram has made efforts to block drug-related hashtags, which remain a key element of the app’s architecture, the group’s research has found that it is possible to find drug content without searching for hashtags. Researchers say the search for “mdma”, not “#mdma”, turned up multiple accounts for drug dealing. It also worked when searching for “Oxy” – a short term for the opioid oxycontin – and “Janax”, an anti-anxiety drug.
The latest study from the Tech Transparency Project follows a previous study published by the group in December. It describes in detail how teenagers can find drug content online and sometimes buy drugs via Instagram. Officially, of course, the sale of drugs is not allowed on Instagram, and Instagram chief Adam Moseri reiterated the policy during a congressional hearing in December. Instagram has removed drug-related hashtags and added a warning prompt to drug-related searches. These prompts provide links to alternative websites. Katie Paul, director of the Tech Transparency Project, says these efforts are not enough. “Instagram actually opposes doing anything that would materially address these vulnerabilities on its platform because they don’t want to cut them down the line,” he says, reducing the time a user can spend on Instagram with greater content control.
The new Tech Transparency Project research highlights the thorny nature of Instagram’s dilemma. It has taken steps to clean up its app and better protect young users, but the platform remains a vulnerable place for abuse and breach of rules – where Instagram, with a population of about 1 billion monthly users, wants to tackle a problem and The other (or more) grows elsewhere. The app has been the subject of much debate among lawmakers over the past year, following the publication of an internal study of the app’s impact on young people’s mental health following the leak of Facebook papers. According to research, it has a negative effect on adolescents. Instagram tried to deny the study, saying it was based on small samples.
The Tech Transparency Project has created multiple dummy accounts registered as adolescent users, examining the security of apps for teens on Instagram and studying adolescent drugs. Similar research was done by congressional staff and the results were used to criticize Instagram and Meta, when meta executives entered the mountains.
The new Tech Transparency Project research has also found loopholes in Instagram’s hashtag policy. For example, #fetanyl was blocked, but #fetanylcalifornia was not, and “#fetanylcalifornia” created a search account that researchers say has sold opioids. Although #Xanax was not found in a desktop search, it can still be searched via mobile. In another instance, “#opiates” did not return any search results, but Instagram then offered #opiatesforsale.
There’s another place where Instagram’s algorithm has worked against the app’s visible security practices: when following a dummy tech transparency project account @ silkroadpharma.cy — seller of Adderall and hallucinogen PCP, researchers say Instagram recommends other drug-related accounts Contains Calypso_415. According to research, the latter advertised “isolated shipping” across the United States.
At another moment, a dummy tech transparency project account followed a so-called drug-dealing account, @despacitro, and another was requested to follow, xanaxsubutexoxycodone. Instagram profile picture for ana xanaxsubutexoxycodone? An ink-white heart is placed next to a small plastic bag.
