Responding to Advocates, Visa Joins MasterCard and American Express in "Declining" Backpage
Largest U.S. website for child sex trafficking marketing loses all credit card funding
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It is not often we get to write about sweeping changes that can protect thousands of youth from the horrors of sex exploitation. Today we celebrate a MAJOR victory! Yesterday MasterCard announced that it would no longer support Backpage, the largest U.S. website for marketing sex trafficking. Less than a day later, Visa announced it would do the same. Earlier this year, American Express dropped Backpage, and Discover is not currently accepted on the site.
Leading the effort to transform credit card company practices on behalf of advocates was Sheriff Tom Dart from Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Alex Trouteaud, the Executive Director of youthSpark and longtime research expert on child sex trafficking, worked with Dart's team to clearly articulate the magnitude of the problem and the danger it posed to children.
According to Dr. Trouteaud, "There's simply no way to operate a flourishing online marketplace for illegal paid sex that has over a million new ads each month, and expect children won't get ensnared in that web." Ms. Jennifer Swain, Deputy Director of youthSpark adds, "We are sick and tired of young girls and boys coming through our doors with stories of how they've been sold for sex on Backpage; I am very thankful Visa and MasterCard now see this website for what it really is."
Today could mark the beginning of the end of child sex trafficking on Backpage, but we won't know for sure until we see how the company (which was recently bought by a Dutch firm, but still operates in Arizona) responds. We need Visa and MasterCard to stand strong, so let them know you support them for doing the right thing in protecting our children! Send a tweet to @Visa and @MasterCard thanking them for standing up to protect our youth. Make sure to use the hashtag #chargeisdeclined! See Dr. Trouteaud's tweet below for an example:
Thank you @Visa and @MasterCard for protecting our youth. No child should ever be sold online! #chargeisdeclined
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