Snapchat is doing its part to tackle the rampant sale of illegal drugs on its platform by unveiling new safety policies meant to tackle the problem.
On Thursday, the social media platform said that it is “determined to remove illegal drug sales from our platform, and we have been investing in proactive detection and collaboration with law enforcement to hold drug dealers accountable for the harm they are causing our community.”
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says there is a “staggering increase” of fentanyl-laced pills in the U.S. contributing to an uptick in drug overdoses, CBS News reported.
Snapchat announced that it had developed a new educational portal called Heads Up, which will come if a Snapchat user searches for drug-related keywords. The feature will pull up content from health organizations, including Song for Charlie, Shatterproof, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The popular app also said that it has made “significant operational improvements” by increasing its enforcement rates by 112% and proactive detection rates by 260% since the start of 2021. It has also developed new family safety tools for parents and their children.
“We will continue to work to strike the right balance between safety and privacy on our platform so that we can empower our community to express themselves without fear of harm,” Snapchat said.
