A disturbing loophole has emerged on Spotify, where dozens of seemingly normal podcasts have been found promoting illegal online pharmacies, CNN reported. These shows, often discovered through basic searches for prescription drugs like “Adderall” or “Xanax,” were actually pushing powerful medications without requiring a valid prescription—an act that is unlawful under U.S. regulations.
Masquerading as legitimate health or wellness content, these podcasts used AI-generated or robotic voices to advertise drugs such as Oxycodone, Methadone, Vicodin, and Ambien. Listeners were frequently directed to shady pharmacy websites with promises of “FDA-approved delivery” without a doctor’s approval.
Podcast titles left little to the imagination. Names such as “My Adderall Store,” “Order Xanax 2 mg Online Big Deal On Christmas Season,” and “Xtrapharma.com” made their true intent obvious. Many episodes included direct links in their descriptions, steering users toward sites offering controlled substances outside legal channels.
Easily accessible, poorly policed
Searches for terms like “Adderall” and “Xanax” often turned up numerous drug-promoting podcasts in the top results. In many cases, these shows remained live on the platform for weeks or even months, raising serious questions about Spotify’s oversight and content moderation processes.
Some podcasts only vanished after they began attracting attention, suggesting the company’s system leans heavily on user reports and external scrutiny, rather than actively identifying harmful content on its own.
Spotify’s cleanup efforts
While Spotify has taken down many of the offending shows, new ones continue to appear almost immediately. This points to a larger challenge the company faces in keeping its platform free from content that violates both its own rules and federal laws.
In a public statement, Spotify reaffirmed its commitment to removing illegal and spam content, noting that it uses both automated systems and human moderators to monitor podcasts. According to the platform’s guidelines, any material promoting illegal activities or intended solely to market a product or service, particularly one that is harmful, is strictly prohibited.
Tech gaps and real-world consequences
Despite these measures, experts warn that Spotify’s current systems are not enough to prevent the spread of dangerous content. With the rise of AI tools that can easily generate spammy audio and scripts, platforms like Spotify are increasingly vulnerable to abuse by bad actors seeking to exploit open publishing systems.
The implications are serious. As reports of teen overdoses linked to online drug purchases continue to rise, pressure is mounting on tech companies to take more aggressive action. Parents, advocates, and online safety groups are calling for stricter safeguards, more proactive monitoring, and greater accountability.