Facebook has routinely been criticized for failing to stop the sale of illegal goods on Marketplace. However, the company has thus far been able to evade responsibility for the problem. However, that may be about to change. According to a bombshell report from The Wall Street Journal this week, federal authorities are investigating Facebook for potentially “willfully facilitating or profiting off drug sales on its platforms.”

According to the report, federal prosecutors in Virginia have issued subpoenas and asked for records related to “violative drug content on Meta’s platforms and/or the illicit sale of drugs via Meta’s platforms.” For its part, Facebook says that it’s already working with authorities closely to remove this content.

“The sale of illicit drugs is against our policies and we work to find and remove this content from our services,” a Facebook spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal. “Meta proactively cooperates with law enforcement authorities to help combat the sale and distribution of illicit drugs.”

“The opioid epidemic is a major public health issue that requires action from all parts of US society,” Facebook exec Nick Clegg added later.

For as much as Facebook wants to deflect and say everyone shares responsibility for this problem, the federal case being prepared makes it clear that the company needs to step up first.

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