A United Nations migration official called today for Facebook to police its site and its WhatsApp messaging subsidiary for use by abusive human smugglers.
Leonard Doyle, director of media and communication at the UN International Organization for Migration, said that Facebook and WhatsApp have become the media of choice for people smugglers in the Middle East and Africa to advertise their services and make arrangements with migrants.
But many of those groups abuse migrants, taking travelers hostage and beating them to demand ransoms from their families, he said.
As it now blocks violent jihadist groups like Islamic State from promoting itself on Facebook pages, Facebook should police people smugglers doing the same thing, Doyle said in an online discussion hosted by Refugees Deeply, a migration-focused media group.
"They have turbocharged the access to smugglers," he said.
"Big tech companies have a huge responsibility that they are not living up to."
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