Facebook has come under a pretty good deal of scrutiny as of late. The platform is known for leftist leanings and censorship; moreover, Facebook announced earlier this month their decision to ban former President Trump for roughly another two years. The site also made mention that even in 2023, they may possibly extend the 45th president’s ban yet again.
At this point, it’s pretty clear to everyone that Facebook does not have any real intention of letting Trump back on. For some reason, though, the site is currently holding off on announcing a permanent ban of the former president.
However, new reports from Townhall show that Facebook has much bigger issues to be worried about. A new and troubling link has emerged between Facebook and the evil that is human trafficking.
A Closer Look at Facebook’s Role in Human Trafficking
The Human Trafficking Institute’s 2020 report has some chilling news. This source maintains that 59% of virtual recruitment of human trafficking victims occurs on Facebook. Furthermore, during prosecutions of human trafficking, Facebook was referenced most often over the past couple years.
(2/4) 23% of defendants in sex trafficking cases were #socialmedia contacts with at least one victim prior to trafficking them. As the internet's prominence has grown in the U.S., so has its use by people looking for opportunities to exploit others. #2020FedHTReport pic.twitter.com/Ctk9oc7qjC
— Human Trafficking Institute (@TraffickingInst) June 16, 2021
The news gets even more disturbing, however. In 2020, the Human Trafficking Institute ascertained that Facebook is used to recruit child human trafficking victims more than their adult counterparts. Instagram, a social media site owned by Facebook, also maintains ties to human trafficking; 14% of child victims are recruited via Instagram.
A Breakdown of Human Trafficking Recruitment
As it turns out, human traffickers are taking advantage of Facebook’s public pages features to lure in victims. In many cases, they’ll post ads stating that people can “safely” travel through the United States and Mexico for only a few hundred dollars.
(4/4) The Report’s findings are not a prevalence estimate of trafficking in the U.S., and individual data points should not be used as estimates of trafficking. To learn more about what this data means, visit the methodology section on page 112: https://t.co/zLEKOFn8UU
— Human Trafficking Institute (@TraffickingInst) June 16, 2021
Many of these public page posts are also geared towards individuals who are desperate to emigrate into the United States.
As many Americans already know, President Biden’s roll-back of Trump-era border reforms opened the door for human traffickers to operate on the Southern border. Now, many are taking advantage of the chaotic border crisis to recruit new victims. Amid all this, both President Biden and Vice President Harris are declining to visit the Southern border.
A Facebook spokesperson informed the press that the site has policies against human trafficking and human exploitation. Furthermore, Facebook maintains that any content promoting trafficking or exploitation is promptly removed.
Facebook is the most commonly used social media platform for human sex trafficking recruitment in the US, according to a new report by the Human Trafficking Institute. Last year, 59% of victims in active cases who were recruited through social media were found through Facebook.
— Hope4Justice (@_hope4justice_) June 14, 2021
However, the news from the Human Trafficking Institute shows that there is much more work to be done. This applies for not just Facebook, but also Instagram as well.
What are your thoughts about the latest information and details from the Human Trafficking Institute? Are you concerned about the documented ties between Facebook, Instagram, and human trafficking? Be sure to let us know your viewpoints, concerns, and other thoughts in the comments section below.
