Opium sales via TikTok; Two Punjabi-language accounts shut down in Winnipeg

 

 

 

Authorities have suspended two accounts based in Winnipeg, Canada, that were marketing opium via TikTok. TikTok took action after CBC News published information about these accounts.

These accounts were advertising the drug using the Punjabi word for opium, ‘feem’. Opium is a Schedule I drug, the most serious under Canada’s Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Possession and sale of it are punishable offenses.

These accounts, which have been active since 2024, were operating by taking advantage of security loopholes in the platforms. Experts point out that social media platforms are often unable to accurately monitor content in regional languages other than major languages such as English, French and Spanish. These accounts were able to evade TikTok's security systems for so long because they were in Punjabi.

A TikTok spokesperson responded to the controversy, stating that they currently monitor over 70 languages and that the platform does not allow the sale of illegal goods.