Web firms won’t ban sites linked to people smuggling

SOCIAL media giants refused to remove hundreds of web pages linked to migrant trafficking, MPs were told yesterday.

Posts offering smuggling services are banned on Facebook but it does allow requests for help on how to get trafficked.

And figures reveal that sites, including Facebook and YouTube, have received more than 1,200 requests from the National Crime Agency (NCA) to take down such content. But 485 of these requests were rejected as they did not breach the company’s terms and conditions.

Only 578 pages have been taken down and requests relating to the other 137 are still being considered.

The applications were all made in the first five months of the year as the Channel migrant crisis worsened. Rob Jones, from the NCA, told the Commons home affairs committee: ‘We were certain when we made those referrals that there was a problem with those accounts.

‘To see that level of attrition, with not all those accounts being closed, is challenging for us. Social media, encrypted platforms and messaging is a really good, dynamic, agile way for people to move migrants and for groups to communicate.’ Mr Jones added that trafficking groups can flourish because these web pages are allowed to stay up, unless they breach the internal policy of that particular company.

He believes there now needs to be a greater regulation of social media giants.

Facebook said: ‘People smuggling is illegal and any ads, posts, pages or groups that coordinate this activity are not allowed.’