Apple threatened to kick Facebook from the App Store in 2019 after a report from the BBC exposed how the social media app was used for human trafficking.
In 2019, the BBC reported that traffickers in the Middle East were using Facebook to organize the sale of their victims. After the report was published, Apple threatened to remove Facebook from the App Store unless they resolved the issue.
Internal documents obtained by the Wall Street Journal reveal that Facebook was aware of the human trafficking issue long before the BBC released its report. The document also indicated that Facebook only took limited action before Apple issued its threat.
One of the Facebook researchers even asked if the company was aware of the issue before the BBC launched its investigation and Apple issued the threat, and the answer was 'yes'.
"Throughout 2018 and H1 2019 we conducted Understanding Exercises globally to fully address how domestic slavery emerges on our platform throughout its cycle: recruitment, facilitation and exploitation," replied the response the Facebook researcher received, as quoted by Apple Insider, Tuesday (21st). /9/2021).
The Wall Street Journal report said human traffickers on Facebook pretending to be labor agents were actually a cover for buying and selling enslaved victims. The smugglers use Facebook to advertise the fake employment agency.
Apple itself always releases a report every year about their efforts to fight human trafficking and slavery in their supply chain and other business sectors. According to the document, all apps in the App Store are also prohibited from soliciting, promoting, or encouraging criminal or reckless behavior.
In extreme cases, if an app is caught facilitating human trafficking or the exploitation of children, Apple will immediately report it to the relevant authorities.