U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is introducing legislation to crack down on fentanyl trafficking in Georgia and nationwide.
Sen. Ossoff introduced the Fentanyl Trafficking Prevention Act to crack down on fentanyl trafficking by “holding social media companies accountable for failing to prevent the sale of dangerous drugs on their platforms, including synthetic opioids like fentanyl,” which is currently killing record numbers of Americans.
The Fentanyl Trafficking Prevention Act would subject social media companies to a maximum of $10 million in criminal penalties for facilitating the unlawful distribution or dispensing of opioids, synthetic opioids, methamphetamine, or cocaine — actions that already violate service providers’ terms of service.
“Deaths and addiction from fentanyl and other opioids are devastating families in Georgia and nationwide. My Fentanyl Trafficking Prevention Act will hold social media companies accountable for recklessly facilitating the sale and distribution of these lethal drugs,” Sen. Ossoff said.
Just last week, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator warned on Meet The Press that social media companies weren’t doing enough to address the fentanyl crisis, noting that cartels are using social media platforms’ online marketplaces to sell drugs.
Sen. Ossoff’s Fentanyl Trafficking Prevention Act also includes what he calls ‘privacy and civil liberties protections’ for Americans.
The bill includes protections for platforms’ use of end-to-end encrypted messaging services or other forms of encryption — as breaking encryption would pierce users’ privacy.
Click here to read the Fentanyl Trafficking Prevention Act.
