Is Facebook Really Prepping A Drug Task Force To Monitor Messages Next Month?

Rumor has it that Facebook is on the verge of rolling out a “drug task force” that will crack down on drug trafficking on the world’s largest social network. And if you believe that, you’ve probably been huffing paint.

There’s a report circulating on Facebook that October 1 will see the introduction of the Facebook Drug Task Force, or FDTF, a squad of nerds and narc agents who will monitor Facebook users’ posts in order to root out users bragging about their drug use or conducting illicit transactions over the social network. The report originated from Hemp Beach TV, which really should tell you everything you need to know about it.

“The task force was created to keep users of Facebook safe,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg supposedly said, according to the site. “The FDTF will be working directly with the Drug Enforcement Agency and local law enforcement agencies.”

The report goes on to quote a supposed spokesman for the DEA, who said he was “thrilled” to “get all the drug pushers and dope addicts off Facebook once and for all.”

“We’re gonna read their messages, we’re gonna build cases against them, and we’re gonna put ’em all in prison,” the supposed spokesperson said.

To many readers, this report should seem false on its face, but the story has gained traction and circulated across the social network. As of this publication, it has more than 300,000 shares on Facebook, and we’re betting most of those were not posted tongue-in-cheek. It’s also been tweeted more than 270 times and pinned on Pinterest 95 times.

It is, of course, a complete fabrication. Bunk. Garbage. Poppycock. BS. A hoax, a farce, a satire. Kind of like that report that Allen Iverson was spotted begging for change outside an Atlanta mall.

The last two paragraphs of the article point out that Facebook has been toying with the notion of introducing a “Satire” tag in order to stop users from rushing to believe… well, stories just like this one. Proving that reading comprehension on the internet is virtually nonexistent, the last line plainly identifies the article as a joke.

“This is also a SATIRE post,” the article reads. “Just trying to raise a little awareness about or [sic] personal information which is not free or come [sic] at any cost. Everyone should always play safe online.”

Even though it is a joke – again, Facebook is not setting up a drug enforcement task force – the post does raise good points regarding the free posting of possibly incriminating material on Facebook. Law enforcement officials, employers, and college admissions officers regularly scan the Facebook profiles of people they interact with, and posting illicit material can get you turned down for a job or school — or even put in jail.

Earlier this year, a Denver public school fired its basketball coach after 7NEWS notified the school district of drug paraphernalia pictures he had posted to his Facebook account.

A couple of months later, police in Florida arrested 21-year-old Taylor Harrison after he boasted how easy it was to deal drugs right under the cops’ noses. Harrison also posted pictures of himself handling drugs and a wad of cash while a cop car was parked right next to him.

The takeaway from all this is two-fold: First, don’t believe everything you read on the internet, and do read articles all the way through to see if they’re satire posts. Second, If you’re doing drugs, don’t post about it on Facebook. Nothing good can come of that.

Besides, everyone knows that if you’re going to do or sell drugs, you do so in a place where not a lot of people are around, so fewer folks are likely to see you. Google+ it is, then.

[Lead image via FanPop]