ALLIANCE TO COUNTER CRIME ONLINE
FIGHTING TO HOLD TECH COMPANIES RESPONSIBLE FOR REMOVING DANGEROUS CRIME AND EXPLOITATION FROM THEIR PLATFORMS
ACCO IS A SCRAPPY STARTUP FIGHTING TO COUNTER A SERIOUS THREAT
The Alliance to Countering Crime has come together, with few resources, to fight one of the most alarming societal problems of our time. Many of us are experts in the crime sectors we track. In most cases, we found each other by chance.
ACCO battles injustice and illegality on the Internet. Due to outdated regulation, social media is infested with a breathtaking amount of criminal activity, ranging from huge online markets for endangered species, drugs, counterfeit goods, and stolen antiquities, to child sex abuse content, human trafficking and various forms of fraud.
Our team’s values include: A deep commitment to justice, a dedication to fight exploitation in all its forms, and the unblinking courage to investigate some of the worst aspects of humankind. Everyone on the ACCO team has taken fundamental risks and made sacrifices to do what we do out of passion for the subjects we seek to protect. And now we are taking on Big Tech, one of the world’s most powerful, well-funded industries.
We may not have much in the way of resources, but we are on the right side of history, and that counts for a lot. As Margaret Mead put it, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
GLOBAL
More than one-third of the world’s population uses social media platforms, the vast majority for legal purposes. However social media also has a dark side. It has provided criminals and violent actors unprecedented global reach to market their illegal goods, to scam and threaten innocent victims and to distribute violent and/or false narratives. Facebook and other social media platforms don’t just host this illicit activity. Their algorithms amplify it.
ANONYMOUS
As many as 25% of social media profiles are avatars, enabling criminals to hide plain sight. Social media platforms are reluctant to take down fake profiles because they are eager to show their investors that their platforms are growing and therefore profitable. In early 2021, for example, Facebook admitted to removing 1.3 billion fake accounts in Q4 2020 alone -- and that’s just what the firm found.
UNREGULATED
Thanks to CDA 230, social media platforms are not liable for illegal content posted by users, even when they know it's there. As a result of this outdated legislation, social media firms have failed to establish internal controls to contain and/or remove this illegal content. Making matters worse, victims of online crime have no path to justice.
Stay Safe Online Tanzania
In March 2021, ACCO launched our pilot program in Tanzania to educate youth about illicit crime - including human trafficking, wildlife trafficking and scams - on Internet platforms.
Alliance Partners
Experts Include
Take Action
Are you concerned about the financing of terrorism? About endangered species disappearing? About children being trafficked for sex? Do you think that Internet firms should be held liable for hosting and amplifying serious crime on their platforms?
Together we can make the Internet a safer place for people and animals alike! You can get involved by making a donation, raising awareness, and staying informed.
SUPPORT OUR RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY
Taking on one of the biggest, richest industries in the world costs money, and most of us are volunteers. Please take a moment and make a donation. Every $5 goes to fund our research, build machine-learning tools, advocate Congress for reform and teach teenagers Internet literacy.
RAISE AWARENESS
The majority of Americans aren’t even aware this is a problem, including many lawmakers and regulators. Get involved and help us change that! Follow @CounteringCrime on Twitter. Forward our tweets, and post about our work to your friends and followers.
STAY INFORMED
For people who are concerned about what the Internet has become, sign up for our newsletter and learn about our latest research and investigations.
SEND US A CONFIDENTIAL TIP
ACCO experts have filed a civil complaint against Facebook Inc for hosting illicit content on its family of platforms. Our case argues that Facebook has knowingly released and marketed dangerous products, and continues to knowingly mislead lawmakers, regulators and investors about its capacity and intent to remove and report on dangerous crime occurring on its platforms. Do you, or did you, work at Facebook? If you have specific information about this issue, we’d love to hear from you. Under U.S. Whistleblower Law, your identity can remain 100% anonymous. Reach out to us securely by emailing ACCOTips@protonmail.com.
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