By Michaela Gordoni
a21 is drawing attention to a massive industry that really shouldn’t be as profitable as it is.
“🎧Every year, Spotify Wrapped takes over our feeds…millions of streams, minutes, and top artists revealed. But there’s a global ‘Wrapped’ that never trends…because no one wants to talk about it,” a21 shared in a poignant social media post. “Human trafficking generates an estimated $236 billion every year, making it one of the most profitable criminal industries in the world.”
Hope for Justice estimates the number is even higher — at $245 billion, which is about 0.26% of the world’s GDP. Either way, human trafficking generates more money than the entire music industry.
“And unlike our playlists, its numbers represent people. Real lives. Real exploitation. Real harm,” a21 said.
Related: AI Company Donates Technology to Help Fight Human Trafficking
“A crime this profitable shouldn’t exist. And together, we’re working to stop it,” it said.
Polaris, which runs the national human trafficking hotline, said private sector involvement in human trafficking includes banks to deposit and launder earnings; the use of planes, buses and taxi services to transport victims; hotel bookings; and social media platforms to recruit and advertise the services of victims.
The U.S. Department of State stresses that banks “train staff on techniques human traffickers use to launder money and the behavioral and financial red flag indicators of human trafficking…Financial institutions are required to comply with law enforcement processes seeking to identify traffickers’ assets, which can be seized, forfeited, and used toward restitution for victims.”
“Human trafficking…can’t be fully addressed without businesses taking active and effective measures to reduce the potential for exploitation within their own systems,” said Bradley Myles, chief executive officer of Polaris.
The Monique Burr Foundation for Children stated there are approximately 27 million trafficked slaves worldwide. UNICEF reported children are one-third of all trafficked victims globally. The amounts are higher in Sub-Saharan Africa, Central America and the Caribbean, where children account for over 60% of trafficked victims.
a21 also made a powerful point in line with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
“While millions watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade today…Most don’t realize this: for every 1 person watching in the crowd, 14+ people are trapped in modern-day slavery,” the group shared on Nov. 27. “A moment of celebration for us is a moment of captivity for far too many. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.”
“Restoration begins with people who choose not to look away. People who believe freedom is worth fighting for. People like you,” it said.
The organization also shared that presently, all donations to a21 will be matched thanks to some generous donors.
Read Next: Tim Tebow Reveals What Motivates Him to Fight Human Trafficking
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