Senior Justice Department officials have reportedly sidelined a long-running criminal grand jury investigation into whether Meta Platforms' social media sites facilitated illegal drug sales. Career prosecutors in Virginia had been conducting the probe, which was put on hold after advocacy from Meta's legal team, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The investigation issued subpoenas and examined whether Meta profited from illicit drug sales on its platforms. Rather than pursue a criminal indictment, senior DOJ officials are reportedly considering more lenient options to resolve the matter.
The probe began under the Biden administration. Its suspension appears to ease a significant legal threat to the company.