美国国家公共电台 NPR--Social media platforms face pressure to stop online drug dealers who target kids

Social media platforms face pressure to stop online drug dealers² who target kids

Transcript³

Three years ago Amy Neville went to her son Alex's bedroom and found the 14-year-old lying dead on a bean bag chair. He had overdosed — Neville describes it as a "poisoning" — on fentanyl.

"An amazing child who could do anything he set his mind to was gone," Neville testified Wednesday before a House panel in Washington, D.C.

According to Neville, her son began experimenting with illicit⁴ opioids and other drugs while using the social media site Snapchat.

"It was on Snapchat that Alex was able to visit with dealers and other users. It was on Snapchat that he set up a deal to get pills," she said.

The dealer¹ who sold fentanyl to Alex was never caught or prosecuted⁶. Snapchat hasn't acknowledged any role in his death.

During testimony⁷ Wednesday, Neville said social media companies aren't being held accountable for putting children like Alex in danger.

She and other witnesses called for changes to a provision of federal law known as Section 230.

Would it help to open Big Tech to more lawsuits⁸?

Section 230 shields social media companies from most civil lawsuits linked to content on their platforms created by users — including users engaged in criminal activity.

"The question isn't whether tech is completely responsible for illicit drug sales," said Rep. Kelly Armstrong, a Republican from North Dakota. "They aren't."

But Armstrong joined a chorus of lawmakers who say it's time for the law to be reformed.

"The question is what duty we should impose on those [social media] platforms to mitigate⁹ illegal illicit drug sales. The answer can no longer be 230's near total immunity¹⁰."

Supporters of Section 230 argue it has allowed tech companies to open platforms to a wide array of speech. They fear changes could lead to a flood of lawsuits, forcing companies to curb¹¹ controversial topics.

But critics at Wednesday's hearing said immunity from civil lawsuits has allowed social media companies to focus on profits that come from attracting and engaging young people, while neglecting safety.

Laura Marquez-Garrett is an attorney with a group called the Social Media Victims Law Center that's suing Snap Inc., the company that makes Snapchat.

"We have a client who literally¹² drove to Snap's physical address because she was trying to report a dealer who killed her son," Marquez-Garrett testified. "She could not get through to anyone. She could not find a 1-800 number."

Witnesses also testified tech companies have been slow to use their technology to help law enforcement trying to catch drug dealers.

"[Social media companies] seemingly know everything there is to know about me as a private citizen," said Sheriff John Nowels, who created a task force to target on-line drug dealers in Spokane, Wash.

"It is ridiculous to think [companies] don't possess the same ability to identify people who are using their platforms for illicit purposes," he said.

Snapchat is where the kids (and the dealers) go

Much of the criticism focused on one company: Snapchat.

In an interview with NPR, the company acknowledged dealers target kids on their platform for one reason: it's popular.

"This is where young people are, right?" said Jennifer Stout¹³, Snap's vice¹⁴ president for global public policy.

Stout said the company has improved software designed to identify accounts opened by drug dealers and is getting better at cooperating with law enforcement.

"In recent months we have only increased ... our ability to fulfill¹⁵ law enforcement requests for information," she said. "We prioritize these based on urgency. We respond to emergency disclosure requests, often in less than 30 minutes."

Free speech on-line versus¹⁶ safety

Advocates for unfettered speech on the Internet also question whether changing Section 230 to make social companies more vulnerable to civil lawsuits will reduce on-line drug sales.

"I think people who are motivated to find drugs and to use drugs are going to find the ability to use drugs," said Aaron Mackey with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit digital rights group.

According to Mackey, companies are already working to improve safety for kids.

He worries if social media sites are pressured to shut down conversations about drug use — possibly using AI detection tools — it will stifle¹⁷ speech and drive conversations relating to drug use into darker corners of the Internet.

"All it's going to do is make it harder for law enforcement to find where that's occurring, to find who the individuals are and prosecute⁵ them," he said.

But fentanyl deaths are rising fast among teenagers and children. One recent study found fatal overdoses among kids under the age of 14 had risen 15-fold in since 2015.

Most experts, including law enforcement officials with the Drug Enforcement Administration, agree social media platforms are a big part of the problem, making fentanyl-laced pills "easily accessible" to kids.

Wednesday's hearing shows Congress and tech companies face intense pressure to make children safer when they go online.

1 dealer   

n.商人，贩子

参考例句：

• The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
• The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。

2 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 illicit   

adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。
• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

5 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

6 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

7 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

8 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

9 mitigate   

vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和

参考例句：

• The government is trying to mitigate the effects of inflation.政府正试图缓和通货膨胀的影响。
• Governments should endeavour to mitigate distress.政府应努力缓解贫困问题。

10 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

11 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

12 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

13 stout   

adj.强壮的，粗大的，结实的，勇猛的，矮胖的

参考例句：

• He cut a stout stick to help him walk.他砍了一根结实的枝条用来拄着走路。
• The stout old man waddled across the road.那肥胖的老人一跩一跩地穿过马路。

14 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

15 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

16 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

17 stifle   

vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止

参考例句：

• She tried hard to stifle her laughter.她强忍住笑。
• It was an uninteresting conversation and I had to stifle a yawn.那是一次枯燥无味的交谈，我不得不强忍住自己的呵欠。