Facebook and Instagram threatened with BAN from iPhone after secret slave market uncovered on apps

APPLE threatened to ban Facebook from the iPhone after an investigation found that its apps were used for human trafficking.

Apple warned that it would ban Instagram and Facebook from the App store if it did not stop the practice.

Apple threatened to ban Facebook and Instagram from the App Store in 2019 after an investigation found that human traffickers were selling victims on the apps

Apple threatened to ban Facebook and Instagram from the App Store in 2019 after an investigation found that human traffickers were selling victims on the apps

Facebook reportedly knew about the trafficking ring for months but did not take associated posts or accounts down

AP

Facebook reportedly knew about the trafficking ring for months but did not take associated posts or accounts down

The fracas began in 2019 after the BBC reported that human traffickers in the Middle East were using Facebook apps to arrange sales of victims.

Users in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia used Hashtags to advertise the illegal selling and buying of domestic slaves.

A few thousand dollars was paid for each woman, who were then categorized by their race and denied basic human rights. They couldn’t leave.

Apple informed Facebook in response to the investigation that it would ban its products if nothing was done.

The threat was recently unearthed in internal Facebook documents seen by the Wall Street Journal.

These documents reveal that Facebook knew of and had been investigating human trafficking rings in its apps since before the BBC’s report.


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According to the Journal, Facebook took limited action to take down the offending posts and accounts until Apple issued its threat.

A Facebook researcher wrote in a report dated 2019, “was this issue known to Facebook before BBC inquiry and Apple escalation?”.

The next paragraph begins: “Yes.”

A document from earlier this year suggested that Facebook should use a light touch with Arabic language warnings about human trafficking.

The file suggested that warnings should avoid “alienating buyers” – meaning purchasers of domestic workers on Facebook’s products.

According to the Journal, these contracts often put people in situations similar to slavery.

A Facebook spokesperson said the company prohibits human exploitation “in no uncertain terms”.

They said that Facebook has been “combating human trafficking on our platform for many years”.

They added: “Our goal remains to prevent anyone who seeks to exploit others from having a home on our platform.”

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In other news, Facebook has launched new ‘prayer tools’ which offer US megachurches the chance to raise funds and listen to prayer requests.

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And, the next iPhone will come in a new pink colour and start at just under £800, according to recent rumours.


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