Spotify removed 57,000 fake podcast episodes promoting illegal drugs, but only after a senator forced its hand (opens in new tab)

Spotify has removed more than 57,000 fake podcast episodes and banned 3,500 accounts tied to illegal drug promotion after a US Senate investigation exposed the scale of the problem. The episodes, spread across more than 3,000 shows, used AI-generated audio to direct listeners to websites selling modafinil, opioids, and cryptocurrency on unregulated marketplaces. Senator Maggie […] at The Next Web