{"id":1973247,"date":"2023-07-14T15:32:01","date_gmt":"2023-07-14T19:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-ag-seeks-to-grill-zuckerberg-on-metas-status-as-preferred-apps-for-human-traffickers\/"},"modified":"2023-07-14T15:33:23","modified_gmt":"2023-07-14T19:33:23","slug":"florida-ag-seeks-to-grill-zuckerberg-on-metas-status-as-preferred-apps-for-human-traffickers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-ag-seeks-to-grill-zuckerberg-on-metas-status-as-preferred-apps-for-human-traffickers\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida AG wants to question Zuckerberg about Meta&#8217;s role as a top app for human traffickers."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fflorida-ag-seeks-to-grill-zuckerberg-on-metas-status-as-preferred-apps-for-human-traffickers%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1973247&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Florida AG Seeks to Grill Zuckerberg on Meta&#8217;s Status as &#8216;Preferred Apps for Human Traffickers&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p>Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been called out over safety concerns on his platforms as his company launches a competitor to Elon Musk\u2019s Twitter, one of the few <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tiktok-has-a-child-pornography-and-chinese-espionage-problem-report\/\" title=\"TikTok Has A Child Pornography And Chinese Espionage Problem: Report\">major social media apps<\/a> he does not own.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody wrote a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.myfloridalegal.com\/sites\/default\/files\/2023-07\/meta-letter.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">letter<\/a> to Zuckerberg that described the results of an investigation into human trafficking on social media platforms, including his own.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAccording to the survey, 146 of the 271 reported instances of social media platform use in human trafficking were attributable to Meta platforms (lnstagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger), more than 53% of the reported instances involved,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Moody also cited the <a href=\"https:\/\/traffickinginstitute.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/2022-Federal-Human-Trafficking-Report-WEB-Spreads_compressed.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2022 Federal Human Trafficking Report<\/a> to note that extensive human trafficking on Meta platforms is not a recent development. She said Facebook was the No. 1 platform for human trafficking from 2019 to 2022, while also noting the role of Instagram.<\/p>\n<p>The attorney general said she wanted answers from Zuckerberg.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The results are in and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Meta?\">@Meta<\/a> platforms were identified in more than half of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/HumanTrafficking?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#HumanTrafficking<\/a> instances in Florida that involved social media.<\/p>\n<p>I am calling on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/finkd?\">@finkd<\/a> to testify to our Statewide Council on Human Trafficking about what his company is doing to prevent its platforms from being used to assist, facilitate or support human trafficking.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 AG Ashley Moody (@AGAshleyMoody) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AGAshleyMoody\/status\/1678505071359807489?\">July 10, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>She said she wanted a response from Zuckerberg by Sept. 5. The next meeting of the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking is scheduled for Oct. 2, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.myfloridalegal.com\/newsrelease\/attorney-general-moody-calls-meta-ceo-zuckerberg-florida-testify-about-use-meta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Moody\u2019s news release<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Should Big Tech companies face legal consequences for crimes involving their platforms?<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Yes<\/li>\n<li>No<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This is not the first time that Facebook has come under fire for safety issues. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/facebook-drug-cartels-human-traffickers-response-is-weak-documents-11631812953\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a> report in September 2021 heavily criticized the platform for its handling of drug cartels and human traffickers.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier that year, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.txcourts.gov\/media\/1452449\/200434.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Texas Supreme Court<\/a> addressed a case in which victims of sex trafficking sued Facebook, claiming \u201cnegligence, negligent undertaking, gross negligence, and products liability based on Facebook\u2019s alleged failure to warn of, or take adequate measures to prevent, sex trafficking on its internet platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One of the issues was Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which \u201cprovides immunity to online platforms from civil liability based on third-party content and for the removal of content in certain circumstances,\u201d according to the U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/ag\/department-justice-s-review-section-230-communications-decency-act-1996\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Department of Justice<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In an ominous precedent for Facebook and other platforms, Justice Jimmy Blacklock wrote, \u201cWe do not understand section 230 to \u2018create a lawless no-man\u2019s-land on the Internet\u2019 in which states are powerless to impose liability on websites that knowingly or intentionally participate in the evil of online human trafficking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now a different state has called out Zuckerberg.<\/p>\n<p>What is he doing instead of ensuring the physical safety of people using his platforms?<\/p>\n<p>For one thing, Meta platforms have been busy at work ensuring that users are safe from conservative points of view. From <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbusters.org\/blogs\/free-speech\/heather-moon\/2023\/05\/17\/facebook-claimed-townhallcom-op-ed-us-border-crisis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">immigration<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbusters.org\/blogs\/free-speech\/gabriela-pariseau\/2023\/04\/18\/censored-facebook-flags-alliance-defending-freedom\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">abortion<\/a>, Facebook has been hard at work censoring conservatives. Both <a href=\"https:\/\/censortrack.org\/social-platform\/facebook\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/censortrack.org\/social-platform\/instagram\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Instagram<\/a> have long histories of censorship, including famously banning a sitting president of the United States.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, Zuckerberg is spending his energy pursuing what <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/stoolpresidente\/status\/1678755299203719168\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">some<\/a> have called a \u201cmonopoly\u201d by creating a new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nurses-dance-in-cringeworthy-tiktok-video-at-a-time-when-hospitals-are-supposedly-overrun-due-to-covid\/\" title=\"Nurses Dance In Cringeworthy TikTok Video At A Time When Hospitals Are Supposedly \u201cOverrun\u201d Due To COVID\">social media app<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/about.fb.com\/news\/2023\/07\/introducing-threads-new-app-text-sharing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Threads<\/a> launched this month.<\/p>\n<p>Twitter is now suing Meta over the platform, calling it a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.semafor.com\/article\/07\/06\/2023\/twitter-is-threatening-to-sue-meta-over-threads\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">copycat<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As noted in Moody\u2019s letter, Meta already owns Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-ag-seeks-to-grill-zuckerberg-on-metas-status-as-preferred-apps-for-human-traffickers\/\" title=\"Florida AG wants to question Zuckerberg about Meta's role as a top app for human traffickers.\">attorney general mentioned<\/a> some of Zuckerberg\u2019s other activities in her news release while demanding action.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBefore launching new products or wasting time preparing for a cage match that will likely never happen, Zuckerberg should be working to make Meta\u2019s existing platforms safer for users and to prevent vulnerable people from being forced into illicit sex work,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>That was a reference to talk of Zuckerberg and Musk <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/zuckerberg-agree-cage-match-musk-billionaires-go-back-forth-trash-talking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">meeting in the ring<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe findings of our statewide survey and other reports make it clear that Meta platforms are the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-ag-asks-zuckerberg-to-testify-on-human-traffickers-reported-use-of-facebook\/\" title=\"Florida AG requests Zuckerberg's testimony on Facebook's alleged facilitation of human trafficking.\">preferred social media applications<\/a> for human traffickers looking to prey on vulnerable people,\u201d Moody wrote.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cZuckerberg 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/florida-ag-seeks-grill-zuckerberg-metas-status-preferred-apps-human-traffickers\/\">Florida AG Seeks to Grill Zuckerberg on Meta&#8217;s Status as &#8216;Preferred Apps for Human Traffickers&#8217;<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\">The Western Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg faces safety concerns on his platforms as his company introduces a rival to Elon Musk&#8217;s Twitter. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has written a letter to Zuckerberg, outlining the findings of an investigation. This move highlights Zuckerberg&#8217;s expanding social media empire, with Twitter being one of the few major platforms he doesn&#8217;t own.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2151,"featured_media":1973248,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1973247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1973247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2151"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1973247"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1973247\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1973248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1973247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1973247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1973247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}