Tech Cos block over 11.6 mn transactions for endangered wildlife online

NEW DELHI: Online technology companies in the 'Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online' reported removing or blocking over 11.6 million listings for endangered species and associated products from their online platforms to date.

These listings included live tigers, reptiles, primates, and birds for the exotic pet trade, as well as products derived from species such as elephants, pangolins, and marine turtles.

The Coalition released a progress update — Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online: 2021 Progress Update — late on Tuesday night to highlight the threat online trade poses to wildlife populations and spotlight the progress made through engagement with the private sector in an industry-wide approach.

"In addition to removing and blocking millions of listings and posts, the Coalition companies have driven awareness of threats to endangered species as well as an understanding of what is prohibited on company platforms and reporting mechanisms among users through communications that have received more than 1 billion engagements on social media," a release from the Coalition said.

Since the launch of the Coalition by World Wildlife Fund (WWF), TRAFFIC and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) in 2018, the number of companies participating doubled from 21 to 47 in 2021, and the companies include those with operations across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas and comprising more than 11 billion user accounts around the world.

"Since the release of the Coalition's 2020 progress report 18 months ago, Coalition companies have removed an additional 8.3 million listings for prohibited wildlife," said Senior Director of TRAFFIC at World Wildlife Fund, Crawford Allan. (IANS)

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