Spotify hustles to take down fake podcasts promoting online prescription drug sales: Report

Spotify is facing renewed scrutiny after an investigation uncovered dozens of fake podcasts masquerading as health or lifestyle shows but actually directing users to illicit online pharmacies selling prescription drugs.

A CNN investigation report said the episodes often feature AI-generated voices and direct listeners to questionable online pharmacies selling powerful medications — without requiring a prescription.

Despite previous action taken by the platform to remove such content, the news outlet said they were able to find multiple new examples — some of which had remained live for months.

The podcasts, masquerading as legitimate health shows, as per news outlet's investigative report, directed users to questionable online pharmacies — many of which claimed to sell highly addictive medications without requiring a prescription, a violation of US law.

The news outlet reported that a search for “Adderall” on Spotify turned up podcasts titled “My Adderall Store” and others with similarly explicit names. These pages often included links to websites that purportedly offered Adderall, Vicodin, Methadone, Ambien, and more — often with no prescription needed.

The news outlet said after it provided Spotify with a list of 26 such podcasts still live on the platform as of Thursday afternoon, the company acted swiftly to remove them. And, despite a Spotify spokesperson acknowledging they violated its rules, which prohibit illegal and spam content, the news publication said it noted new, similar content continued to appear on the platform by the following morning.

The report highlights the growing concern among parents and watchdogs who are urging tech platforms to crack down on counterfeit or illicit drug sales targeting young people. The issue has become especially urgent in light of teen overdose deaths linked to pills purchased online.

The findings also raise broader questions about Spotify’s content moderation capabilities, particularly as generative AI tools make it easier to rapidly produce and upload fake or harmful content.

Computerised voices pitch illegal drugs

In one example highlighted by the news publication, a podcast titled “Xtrapharma.com” published eight episodes on November 29, 2024. Each clip lasted less than 10 seconds and included a robotic voice advertising medications like Xanax, Percocet, OxyContin, and Hydrocodone. The ads claimed the drugs could be purchased with “FDA-approved delivery without prescription.”

Another show, titled “Order Xanax 2 mg Online Big Deal On Christmas Season,” posted a single 26-second episode on December 2. “Are you a health-conscious guy? Presenting the best health advisor episode first time on Spotify,” the AI voice stated before touting the benefits of Xanax. The episode’s description linked directly to a supposed online pharmacy promising “government approved medicine to the customer’s doorstep,” the news outlet reported.

Repeat offenders and recycled pharmacy links

A third fake podcast, “John Elizabeth,” contained dozens of episodes and prominently featured thumbnail artwork promoting a pharmacy website. That same site had previously been linked in another show called “My Adderall Store,” indicating a pattern of reusing promotional material across different podcast pages.

Additional fake shows appeared in searches for terms like “Vyvanse,” “Codeine,” and “Percocet.” One show, titled “How Percocet Dosage Taken No RX,” contained an episode named “Order Codeine Online Safe Pharmacy Louisiana” — which included a coupon code and another link to an illicit online seller.

No user reviews, unclear reach

According to CNN, none of the fake drug-selling podcasts it viewed had user ratings or reviews, making it difficult to determine how many users might have listened to or interacted with the content. Still, their presence in search results for common drug names suggests they were easy to discover for unsuspecting users.

Spotify’s free tools exploited

Spotify provides creators with free tools to publish and monetise podcasts, but its creator guidelines explicitly state that its mission to “democratize audio” does not mean “anything goes on our platform.” These guidelines prohibit content that is hateful, sexually explicit, illegal, or spammy — including material created “solely to … promote a product or service.”

Separately, Spotify’s platform rules ban any “content that illicitly promotes the sale of regulated or illegal goods,” including prescription drugs sold without proper authorisation.