Famous photo sharing service announced it would block hashtags after BBC discovered sales pitches for such illegal drugs as marijuana, Xanax and Roxicodone.



Media reports reveal that Instagram is taking certain steps to block drugs-related hashtags to stamp out the sale of illegal substances among its users. The photo sharing service, where people post and comment on pictures and videos, will take this move after a BBC investigation. The latter found that the users were showing drugs and advertising their sale.

The broadcaster’s website says that most of the drug sales have taken place in the United States. The illegal substances advertised on Instagram include MDMA and other amphetamine-related drugs. One of the pictures of bags of marijuana was saying: “Place your order today, it gets shipped out at 8am tomorrow”, while another photo showed a selection of pills with the caption: “$2 a pop for xans, $10 a pop for roxys”. These drugs can be available on prescription in the United States and the United Kingdom, but are also traded on the black market.

According to the BBC, many deals were finalized though instant messaging applications, like WhatsApp or Kik, which allowed messages to be kept private. In the meantime, Instagram, owned by Facebook, has promised to act on reported inappropriate activity. However, the company believes that it would be impractical and invasive to actively search for such content. Instagram’s terms of service reads: “You may not use the service for any illegal or unauthorized purpose”. Its representative claimed that Instagram has a clear set of rules about what is and isn't allowed on the website. The service encourages users who come across unauthorized or inappropriate material to report it using the built-in reporting tools, so that the company could take action.

Hmmm