Spotify Deletes 3,500 Podcasts Linked to Illegal Drug Sales
WHO:
CNN - Senator Maggie Hassan stated that Spotify should have acted faster and alerted law enforcement to the content.
CNN - Senator Maggie Hassan, a New Hampshire Democrat and ranking member of the Joint Economic Committee.
CNN - Spotify, a music streaming platform.
CNN - Laura Batey, Spotify spokesperson.
WHAT:
CNN - Spotify had removed fewer than 100 accounts the year prior to the investigation, compared to the 3,500 accounts removed during the investigation.
CNN - Investigators found a public playlist on Spotify advertising “oxycodone online” in December 2025.
CNN - Spotify removed 3,500 podcast accounts and 57,000 episodes promoting illegal online pharmacies.
CNN - The investigation found that 94% of the phony podcasts had never been streamed and 99% had fewer than 10 streams.
CNN - Two podcasts had almost 13,000 streams directing users to buy the prescription stimulant modafinil online.
CNN - Spotify stated that none of the drug sales podcasts were monetized on its platform.
WHERE:
CNN - The investigation involved content on Spotify and other streaming platforms, including iHeart, Amazon Music, and Podchaser.
WHEN:
CNN - The removal of the 3,500 podcast accounts and 57,000 episodes occurred between May and November 2025.
CNN - A public playlist advertising “oxycodone online” was found in December 2025.
CNN - The investigation was launched after reports from CNN and other news outlets exposed the issue last year.
WHY:
CNN - Senator Hassan's report suggests that the challenges Spotify faced in removing harmful content should raise alarm bells about the volume of such content across all online platforms.
CNN - The podcasts violated Spotify’s rules and threatened to direct users to spammy and potentially illegal sites.
CNN - Senator Hassan stated that as criminals use AI to perpetuate scams, online platforms need to step up and protect users.
HOW:
CNN - Spotify stated that it has a process to refer content to law enforcement but did not do so for any of the drug-related podcasts it removed last year.
CNN - Spotify uses both automated technology and human reviewers to enforce its rules against content that illicitly promotes the sale of regulated or illegal goods.
CNN - Spotify described the phony podcasts as a “spam attack” designed to boost the visibility of online pharmacies in search engines.
(UPDATED June 11, 2026 18:06 UTC)
Senator Maggie Hassan criticized Spotify for not acting quickly enough to alert law enforcement regarding harmful content on its platform. In a recent investigation, it was revealed that Spotify removed only a fraction of problematic accounts last year, with fewer than 100 accounts taken down compared to 3,500 during the investigation, which uncovered a public playlist promoting "oxycodone online" in December 2025. While Spotify claims to have a process for referring content to law enforcement, they did not utilize this for any of the drug-related podcasts they removed last year, raising concerns about the prevalence of harmful content across online platforms.
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(UPDATED June 11, 2026 12:25 UTC)
Spotify has taken significant action by removing 3,500 podcast accounts and 57,000 episodes that promoted illegal online pharmacies, following an investigation that revealed most of these podcasts had never been streamed. Senator Maggie Hassan emphasized the need for online platforms to enhance user protection as criminals increasingly utilize AI for scams, while Spotify described the fraudulent podcasts as a "spam attack" aimed at increasing the visibility of these illicit pharmacies. The investigation, which also examined content on other streaming platforms like iHeart and Amazon Music, was prompted by reports from CNN and other outlets highlighting the issue last year.