Washington, D.C., June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) is calling on McDonald’s to immediately end a newly created promotional partnership with a dangerous social media platform. Snapchat, and its parent company Snap, Inc., are under federal and state investigation for their role in facilitating the sale of deadly drugs, including fentanyl.
In a letter to McDonald’s CEO, the nation’s leading crime watchdog pointed to Snapchat’s inherent design features that make it a preferred platform for drug dealers and predators.
“Snapchat is the platform of choice for drug dealers, and it is unsafe for users of any age,” said NCPC Executive Director Paul DelPonte. “McDonald’s should not be promoting a service that endangers the very children it has long supported through Ronald McDonald House Charities and community safety events.”
As part of the partnership, McDonald’s is offering one month of free access to Snapchat+, the platform’s supposed premium version. The plus version includes even more dangerous features, such as enhanced location tracking and expanded messaging capabilities, tools that NCPC says make it easier for predators and criminals to access children.
This partnership contradicts McDonald’s decades-long commitment to protecting children and fostering safe communities and aligns it with a platform under federal scrutiny for contributing to the fentanyl crisis and child exploitation. McDonald’s franchises have a long history of including the organization’s well-known mascot, McGruff the Crime Dog®, at events such as National Night Out and Halloween safety programs
“This is not about cancel culture,” the letter states. “This is about public safety, corporate responsibility, and protecting children.”
NCPC is urging McDonald’s to immediately reconsider the partnership and expressed willingness to work with the company to identify safer, more responsible ways to support children and families.
Tatiana Peralta National Crime Prevention Council 202-919-5544 tperalta@ncpc.org
