


Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody called on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking about his company’s reported involvement in human trafficking and sex exploitation cases on social media.
Following a recent statewide investigation, Moody said Florida officials found human traffickers are using Meta platforms more than any other social media apps to commit crimes. The attorney general announced the findings of the state investigation on Monday.
BANK OF AMERICA FINED $250 MILLION FOR 'JUNK FEES' AND OPENING FAKE ACCOUNTS
“Before launching new products or wasting time preparing for a cage match that will likely never happen, 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,” Moody said.
The investigation concluded that more than half of all reported instances of social media platforms used in Florida human trafficking cases since 2019 involve Meta platforms — namely Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.
“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," Moody added. "Zuckerberg needs to immediately turn his attention to this public safety threat and testify to our council about what Meta is doing to prevent its platforms from being used to assist, facilitate or support human trafficking.”
WATCH: Fla. Attorney Gen. Ashley Moody says a large portion of human trafficking cases in Florida involved use of META PLATFORMS
— Brendon Leslie (@BrendonLeslie) July 11, 2023
"I [specifically invited] CEO Zuckerberg [to] testify before this council." pic.twitter.com/dxxedLbYIB
The state investigation's findings originate from the attorney general’s office sending a survey to 80 law enforcement agencies, including 67 sheriff’s offices and several police departments in Florida’s major cities. Of the 66 responses it received, 32 agencies reported 376 human trafficking investigations occurred since 2019.
Of those 376 investigations, there were 271 reported instances of human traffickers using social media to conduct illegal business. The four listed Meta applications totaled 146 instances of the 271.
Meta’s new competitor to Twitter, Threads, was not included in the announcement due to the social media app’s release last week.
Moody wrote a letter to Zuckerberg, inviting the Meta CEO to appear before the Florida council. She requested he respond no later than Sept. 5, just under a month before the council’s next meeting on Oct. 2.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Zuckerberg and Meta have yet to provide a public comment on the request or investigation.
The statewide inquiry into Meta comes after the Wall Street Journal reported last month that Instagram was used to connect pedophile networks in the dissemination and purchase of child pornography.