According to CNN, Spotify is currently battling podcasts that illegally promote and sell prescription medications — particularly those prone to abuse.
Podcasts are one of Spotify’s key differentiators in the music streaming market. However, the platform has already had its share of controversial podcast content. A new issue has now emerged: podcasts that advertise and even help facilitate the sale of prescription drugs, such as Oxycodone and Vicodin. These are powerful opioid-based painkillers that can also be misused recreationally. As CNN reports, numerous podcasts exist — often under misleading or even blatantly descriptive titles — that provide information or direct instructions on how and where to obtain these drugs.
Podcasts can be a great source of entertainment and information, but they can also take on a life of their own — one that quickly escapes the platform’s control.