Meta's social media app restricts searches for marijuana and psychedelics, but not alcohol and cigarettes

By Sechat

Threads, the new social media app owned by Meta, has been restricting searches in countries like the United States and Canada for users they deem to be associated with drug sales. When searching terms like "marijuana," "psilocybin," or "ibogaine," the app displays a warning highlighting the possibility of illicit drug sales.

"This may be associated with drug sales," the app alerts.

In the U.S., the platform even offers users the option to "get help" through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) or view the results anyway.

However, it is interesting to note that other drug-related terms like "alcohol," "tobacco," "beer," and "cigarettes" do not provide users with indications of drug treatment resources. This inconsistency in the app's approach to substances considered problematic raises questions about the criteria used to identify potentially harmful content.

Furthermore, it is notable that searching for terms like "cannabis" and "ayahuasca" does not trigger the drug treatment resource filter, while other substances are included. Although it is not clear why these substances are treated differently in the app, it is possible that the distinction is due to cannabis also referring to hemp, a term more accepted by the U.S. federal government.

This restrictive approach of Threads regarding drugs highlights a similarity with the strategy previously adopted by Twitter. However, Twitter discontinued this practice after being acquired by Elon Musk, revising its cannabis advertising policy and allowing cannabis companies to promote their brands and campaigns, as long as they meet certain criteria.

Although users can bypass the filter and obtain search results anyway, this limitation also creates issues for media companies and organizations. Coverage of topics like marijuana reform, psychedelics, the opioid crisis, and harm reduction efforts may be automatically hidden unless the user manages to bypass the filter.

Many perceive these search restrictions on Threads as a stigmatizing double standard, associating marijuana with addiction, while other substances like alcohol and tobacco are not affected by the policy. While the app is presented as a superior alternative to Twitter, it is important to acknowledge that it also faces challenges and criticisms related to its policies and limitations.