secure.awf.org

As a member of African Wildlife Foundation’s community of activists, I am horrified to learn that Facebook has been accused of running ads on pages advertising the sale of elephant ivory, rhino horn, and other wildlife products.

This must stop immediately. You must also prioritize identifying and purging all activity related to wildlife trafficking on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, including deleting posts that sell ivory and rhino horn, shutting down Facebook groups devoted to sales of wildlife products, and stopping Facebook Messenger from being used to negotiate prices.

The rampant wildlife trafficking activity on your social media platforms is abhorrent and contributes to the rapid decline of Africa’s elephant, rhino, and other iconic wildlife populations. We will not be satisfied with a few new policies asking wildlife criminals to self-regulate.

In March, Facebook joined the Global Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online along with 20 other technology companies. Yet…