Social media firms Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META, ETR:FB2A, SWX:FB), Snap Inc (NYSE:SNAP) and Elon Musk’s X have entered into a partnership with the US government’s Alliance to Prevent Drug Harms with the aim of disrupting online drug dealing and increasing awareness about synthetic drug misuse.
Snap, in a statement, noted that it had been working with Meta building on its own internal programmes in 2022 to identify and share ‘patterns and signals of illicit drug-related content and activity across our platforms’.
The alliance also aims to collaborate on campaigns and tools to help address overdose prevention and support those seeking treatment options.
“At Snap, we routinely say our work in this space may never be done, but we are encouraged that the collective will of this Alliance will make a bold and significant step in the right direction,” said Jacqueline Beauchere, Snap’s global head of platform safety.
Meta's vice president of trust and safety, Nell McCarthy, meanwhile, said that its platform can help combat the opioid epidemic by connecting families, people in recovery, and organizations fighting stigma.
The Alliance was officially announced at a ceremony at the US Mission to the UN in New York.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield highlighted the critical role technology companies can play in stopping illegal drug activities and educating the public.