Tech, crypto firms to help tackle illegal wildlife trade

LONDON, June 22 (Reuters) - ‌A group ​of ​leading international technology, crypto and other businesses on Monday announced plans to help stamp out ‌the illegal trade in wildlife.

• Announcement made ⁠as part of a business forum convened by Prince William ‌and The Royal Foundation’s United ‌for Wildlife during London Climate Action Week.

• Companies including Google, Meta, TikTok and Alibaba commit to ​end trafficking on their platforms. To look for ways to eradicate online listings, including through AI-enabled ⁠detection and prevention.

• Represent a fifth of the global e-commerce market and ​90% of the world’s social media users.

• Vodafone, Vodacom, Safaricom to use AI in ​anti-money-laundering and transaction monitoring systems ‌across mobile money platform M-Pesa.

• Crypto, blockchain analytics firms and payment companies including PayPal, ⁠TRM Labs, Chainalysis and Luno commit to disrupt financial flows linked to the illegal wildlife trade.

• British Airways and ⁠Heathrow to launch a public awareness campaign about the trade.

• ​A United Nations Environment Programme report says trade in wildlife products generates as much as $23 billion annually. Estimated 1 million ‌plant and animal species are threatened with extinction.

• David Fein, co-chair of United for ‌Wildlife: "What we see from the private sector today ⁠is a recognition that ‌the illegal wildlife ​trade is both an environmental and a business issue."

(Reporting by Simon Jessop; Editing by Kirsten ‌Donovan)

---

Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!

---

You May Also Be Interested In

• Soccer-South Africa World Cup midfielder Adams dies aged 25
• North Korea condemns NATO summit, says denuclearisation should start with US allies
• Spanish firefighters turn to the offensive against deadly Almeria blaze