Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has been summoned by Florida to address the markedly high frequency of his company’s social media platforms facilitating human trafficking in the state.
This comes on the heels of revelations illuminating the use of Meta platforms – Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp – in a disturbingly large portion of human trafficking cases reported in Florida from 2019 to 2022.
The term “human trafficking” encapsulates instances where force, fraud, or coercion is used to exact labor or commercial sex acts from individuals. The unsettling statistics were obtained through a statewide survey of law enforcement agencies, highlighting the role of social media in aiding human trafficking.
“The results were extraordinary,” stated Florida’s attorney general, Ashley Moody. The significance of the findings was underlined by the comparison with the second-most implicated platform, Snapchat, involved in a mere 19 instances. In stark contrast, Meta platforms featured in 146 of the 271 reported cases, further underscoring the scale of the problem.
Moody detailed the multifaceted uses of Meta’s platforms by traffickers, spanning from victim recruitment to managing operations and maintaining control over victims. With evident concern, Moody dubbed this a pressing “public safety threat”.
Moody argued for more decisive action from the Meta CEO. “Zuckerberg should be working to make Meta’s existing platforms safer for users and to prevent vulnerable people from being forced into illicit sex work,” said Moody.
Further emphasizing the severity of the situation, she pointed out, “The findings of our statewide survey and other reports make it clear that Meta platforms are the preferred social media applications for human traffickers looking to prey on vulnerable people.”
A formal invitation was extended to Zuckerberg to testify before Florida’s Statewide Council on Human Trafficking concerning Meta’s preventive measures against the misuse of its platforms by human traffickers. The letter stipulated a response deadline of September 5th.
In a seemingly proactive move last June, Meta disclosed the establishment of a task force investigating Instagram’s role in circulating and selling child sexual-abuse material.
A spokesperson for Meta asserted the company’s stringent prohibition of all forms of human exploitation, and noted their aggressive efforts to combat these heinous crimes on their platforms. They expressed frustration at the claims made, arguing that they incorrectly portrayed the company’s active endeavors to eliminate such illegal activity and collaborate with law enforcement.
The spokesperson cited a statement from the group director of intelligence at Stop the Traffik, claiming that “millions are safer and traffickers are increasingly frustrated” due to Meta’s work.
“We will continue to inform and partner with the state attorneys general on these critical matters,” the spokesperson concluded.
