56 drug ads on Facebook Marketplace: Delayed action from Meta sparks concern
The Herald also saw ads for cannabis and what appeared to be LSD.
What appeared to be a sheet of LSD was pictured for sale alongside magic mushrooms. Photo / Meta / Facebook Marketplace
The publicly accessible ads, most of which show images of vacuum-packed plastic bags of dried mushrooms or mushroom caps packaged inside chocolate bar wrappers, invite users to connect with the seller on the encrypted messaging app Telegram where a 'full menu' of products is supplied.
One full menu seen by the Herald offered the advertised psychedelics, as well as many other drugs like cocaine, MDMA, LSD, and ketamine.
Magic mushrooms advertised for sale in locations across the North Island on Facebook Marketplace. Photo / Meta / Facebook Marketplace
A Bay of Plenty man who asked to remain anonymous told the Herald he made 'hundreds' of reports to Meta notifying them of suspect accounts over several weeks.
He claimed the listings remained active and the only response he got was an automated reply thanking him for making Facebook Marketplace a safer place to trade.
'I can't believe it's happening,' he said.
The Herald's informant said he felt compelled to complain to Meta after a family friend was admitted to hospital after overdosing on mushrooms.
A source told the Herald he flagged dozens of ads for magic mushrooms with Meta and claims no action was taken.
'He was seriously ill, in a coma for several days, and his parents actually thought they might lose him.'
Given the number of ads and drug quantities pictured, the Herald's informant believed many sellers were running 'commercial' operations.
The Marketplace listings offer discreet pick up or delivery of drugs and the Herald's source believed that given the blatant way they were sold on an open platform it put children at risk.
The Herald found 56 different ads for illegal drugs on Facebook Marketplace in a single day. Photo / Meta / Facebook Marketplace
'Anyone can look on Marketplace, whether you're 10 years old or 50 years old,' he said.
He claims the situation became even more absurd when - while the ads peddling drugs stayed online despite his complaints - he was sanctioned by Meta when trying to sell an old dart board.
'Within a few days of putting it on Facebook Marketplace, I was sent a warning that I was trying to sell a dangerous weapon,' he said.
Cannabis advertised for sale on Facebook Marketplace. Some of the ads invited customers to switch to an encrypted app for the "full menu" of drugs. Photo / Meta / Facebook Marketplace
He said he believes Meta's systems were failing.
'When you can be flagged and threatened for trying to sell a dartboard and yet drugs are openly being sold, it just doesn't make sense.'
A Meta spokeswoman said the company acted after inquiries from the Herald and deleted the offending ads.
'Our escalations team has removed many Facebook Marketplace ads because of your inquiry and is continuing to review further,' the spokeswoman said.
'Surprising and ironic'
NZ Drug Foundation NZ executive director Sarah Helm. 29 August 2024. Photo supplied
The New Zealand Drug Foundation has also faced problems with Meta flagging its drug safety content as problematic.
The foundation is contracted by Health New Zealand to provide drug checking clinics, promote harm reduction and addiction support information, and support schools with student wellbeing.
Executive director Sarah Helm told the Herald it's not right that drugs can be openly listed for sale while public health information is flagged and disallowed.
'We know the algorithms actually suppress some of our content' she said.
She said mushrooms can have fatal consequences if consumed in high doses and urged caution.
'I would encourage people if they've purchased any illicit drug ... to come to a drug checking clinic and get their substance checked,' she said.
The latest drug trends survey from researchers at Massey University noted a rise in social media being used to purchase all types of drugs, particularly MDMA and cannabis.
Meta: 'Numerous' ads removed
Facebook owner Meta has removed "numerous" ads for illegal drugs listed across New Zealand after being approached by the Herald. Photo / Supplied
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, was unable to say why the listings were only taken down when the Herald made inquiries.
The tech company said it enforces its policies - including a prohibition against the promotion or sale of illegal drugs - through a combination of reports from users, human review and artificial intelligence.
It's not clear what happened following the reports filed by the Herald's source, or if a human or robot reviewed the complaints.
Meta removed "numerous" illegal listings after being contacted by the Herald. Photo / Meta / Facebook Marketplace
A Meta spokesperson said 'numerous' offending ads had now been deleted.
'Meta has removed numerous Facebook Marketplace ads promoting the sale of illicit drugs for violating our Community Standards. We will continue to proactively detect and enforce against these types of listings,' a spokeswoman said.
Meta has also recently updated its community standards to prevent precursor chemicals that could be used to make drugs being sold and said any violation involving the sale of drugs including fentanyl, cocaine or heroin, will result in accounts being disabled.
Facebook reported making $7.59m in New Zealand last year, which was a dip in profits on previous years.
Michael Morrah is a senior investigative reporter/team leader at the Herald. He won News Journalist of the Year at the 2025 Voyager Media Awards and has twice been named reporter of the year at the NZ Television Awards. He has been a broadcast journalist for 20 years and joined the Herald's video team in July 2024.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
2 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Meta bans 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts linked to scam operations
A security expert said in a video accompanying Meta's blog post that users should pause before responding to messages on internet platforms, noting that scammers often create a fake sense of urgency to get people to respond quickly. Photo / Getty Images Meta said today that it had banned more than 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts this year linked to scam operations. A wave of criminal activity on the internet has wrangled billions of dollars out of victims' savings. Scam accounts were often linked to criminal centres across Southeast Asia, where
NZ Herald
20 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Woman accused of putting toddler in closed suitcase on bus denied bail
Yesterday the woman, 27, wore a purple hoodie, grey baggy pants and faced away from the public gallery as she stood in the dock for her first court appearance. She appeared emotional and wiped her eyes on multiple occasions. Judge Fitzgibbon granted the woman interim name suppression and scheduled her to reappear this morning. The woman's lawyer indicated she was scheduled to undergo a psychological assessment. Judge Fitzgibbon granted the media permission to photograph the woman and to publish pixelated images of her. No plea was entered. Police allege the woman put the child in a closed suitcase on a bus travelling from Whangārei to Auckland. She has been charged with ill-treatment/neglect of a child. A woman charged with neglect after a toddler was found in a suitcase on a bus travelling from Northland to Auckland has appeared in North Shore District Court. A court charge sheet says the alleged conduct was likely to cause adverse effects to the health of the toddler. 'Namely, suffocation, carbon monoxide poisoning, heat exhaustion, psychological trauma.' It alleged the offending was a 'major departure' from the standard of care expected by a reasonable person. No occupation was listed on the woman's charge sheet. Police said officers were called about 12.50pm on Sunday after a passenger asked to access the luggage department during a planned stop in Kaiwaka, a small town in Northland. 'The driver became concerned when he noticed the bag moving,' said Detective Inspector Simon Harrison, acting field crime manager Waitematā. 'When the driver opened the suitcase, they discovered the 2-year-old little girl.' The girl was reported to be very hot, but otherwise appeared unharmed. She was taken to the hospital for a thorough medical assessment. 'We would like to acknowledge and commend the bus driver, who noticed something wasn't right and took immediate action, preventing what could have been a far worse outcome,' Harrison said. The investigation is ongoing and further charges have not been ruled out. Oranga Tamariki Regional Commissioner Te Tai Tokerau Anya Tahere said the agency had been notified about the incident . 'Our thoughts are with the young child involved. 'We are working with their whānau to ensure the child is safe and cared for.' Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers issues such as sexual assault, workplace misconduct, media, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
Police launch search for missing diver in Wellington Harbour
Police boat Lady Elizabeth IV on Wellington Harbour, where the dive team is today searching for a missing diver. File photo / Mark Mitchell The police dive team is searching for a missing diver in Wellington Harbour today. The diver was in the water off Lower Hutt's Lowry Bay but failed to surface. A police spokeswoman told the Herald they were alerted to the incident at 11am on Tuesday.
