Spotify Removed Over 57,000 Drug-Related Podcast Episodes

Spotify has revealed that it removed more than 57,000 podcast episodes linked to illegal drug promotion after concerns were raised by U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan. The takedown also included over 3,000 podcast shows and 3,500 accounts connected to the activity.

The issue gained attention in 2025 after investigations by Business Insider and CNN uncovered hundreds of podcasts allegedly promoting opioids. What initially appeared to be a limited problem was later revealed to be much larger.

Senator Hassan criticized Spotify's response, claiming the company was slow to act and failed to report the removed content to law enforcement. One of the flagged episodes reportedly contained a link to a drug-selling website that was later seized by authorities, including the DEA.

Spotify disputes the criticism, saying it began removing the content as soon as it became aware of the issue. The company also stated that the podcasts were part of a larger spam operation designed to drive traffic to external websites, adding that drugs cannot be bought or sold directly on Spotify.