Snapchat introduces in-app tool on drug dangers following fentanyl deaths
- ByStartupStory | October 9, 2021
Snapchat introduced an in-app tool on drug dangers following fentanyl deaths as a part of the series of steps it is taking to curb drug trafficking on its platform and educate users about the dangers of fentanyl and other drugs. When users search for drug-related keywords like “fentanyl,” Snap says it will lead them to a new educational portal called Heads Up. It is also ramping up actions against drug traffickers on its platform, including enhanced in-app reporting tools and proactive detection.
The announcements follow a recent investigation by NBC News into a spate of deaths involving teens and young adults suspected of purchasing fentanyl-containing drugs through the social network. The report alleged that drug dealers were able to use Snapchat to find buyers and that the platform was not doing enough to delete their accounts and keep them off the platform. The social network was also accused of delay in providing information to the police.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that has been complicit in an alarming rise in deaths in the United States in recent years. Nearly 50,000 people in the United States would have died from opioid overdoses in 2019, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. According to Snap, drug dealers use fentanyl in counterfeit Vicodin or Xanax pills, which are then bought by customers without their knowledge. “New Heads Up Portal to Direct Users to Educational Content,” it posted.
In its blog post, Snapchat points out that it is taking more enforcement action against resellers on its platform. It says adoption rates more than doubled in the first half of 2021, and the systems proactively detected 260% more hardware than before. It claims that nearly two-thirds of drug-related content is proactively discovered by its artificial intelligence systems, adding that it has improved response time to valid law enforcement requests by 85% year over year. Nevertheless, Snap admits that he still has work to do.
In addition to more proactively removing drug dealers from its platform, Snap highlights commissioned research that suggests some users are unaware of how dangerous fentanyl can be — which is what the Heads Up portal was designed for. dissolve. Snap says he will promote the portal, as well as the dangers of fentanyl more generally through a new filter, and will also discuss the crisis in future episodes of his Snap Original show. Good luck America. Expert organizations contributing to Heads Up include Song for Charlie, Shatterproof, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), with resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be added in the coming weeks.
Follow Startup Story
Related Posts
