Google has joined the fight against human trafficking. Here’s why it matters.
The headlines are all about how Google gave $3 million to fight human trafficking, but what actually matters is this: the movement against human trafficking is desperate for help learning how to connect and collaborate. This is Google’s specialty. The launch of their Global Human Trafficking Hotline Network has been called “…an international collaboration between nonprofits that will enable better coordination and victim protection across borders.”
Nonprofits are sprouting up all the time in this industry. Some people generally want to help but are misguided, others want not to link up with existing groups but instead have that coveted CEO title. Sometimes two groups within the same community have no idea the other exists. For more on this check out True Collaboration in Field of Human Trafficking Needs Bolstering.
While many speak of human trafficking in terms of how it’s a global crime, few speak of how the crime-in-action crosses borders. This is part of the reason why it’s tough to track. I’ve met trafficking victims in Bangladesh who ended up in the sweatshops of Pakistan and I’ve met people from Thailand who ended up enslaved in California.
There are some shining examples when it comes to true global collaboration. ATEST (The Alliance to End Slavery & Trafficking) and CHAB DAI (Christians Working Together to End Sexual Abuse and Trafficking). However, neither group has the potential firepower that Google can bring. All groups struggle for resources, and many even compete against each other for important grants. With Google’s ability to map and track, their influence in this fight can be exactly the kind of “bolstering” necessary. Here’s the feature video they launched a few days ago. Check it out: