Expert panel highlights opportunities to address wildlife trafficking online

US companies prompted to action to prevent wildlife trafficking as EU legislation takes effect

(Washington, D.C., February 27, 2024) – Today, a broad coalition of experts from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), World Wildlife Fund, PetSmart, ebay, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spoke to congressional leaders about the impacts of wildlife cybercrime and opportunities for policy reform.

Live, exotic animals are increasingly traded online, and social media platforms are the dominant pathway for connecting buyers and sellers around the world . Online wildlife trafficking has increased dramatically, due to the lack of restrictions prohibiting their trade. As U.S. leaders consider updating national policies, it is critically important that safeguarding wildlife remains a priority.

Ilaria Di Silvestre, IFAW’s Head of European Union Policy and Campaigns, spoke on the European Union’s new Digital Services Act (DSA), which establishes content rules for online trade. Currently, a policy to prevent wildlife trafficking online does not exist in the United States. The DSA requires US tech platforms operating in the EU to comply with this legislation. “Online platforms have made the process of obtaining rare and exotic wildlife, as easy as buying everyday household items and the lack of online wildlife trade prohibitions to prevent this is alarming,“ said Ilaria Di Silvestre, IFAW. “The European Union’s new Digital Services Act aims to limit online accessibility to illegal wildlife and could serve as an example of policy reform to prevent, detect and promptly remove wildlife illegally offered online for other countries.”

Wildlife trafficking threatens populations of rare animals and to the overall health of ecosystems. This lucrative trade also poses significant safety and health threats to humans, as it can facilitate the transmission of zoonotic diseases and may even fund organized crime networks.

As U.S. legislators consider the growing challenge of regulating illicit online activities, conservation advocates and tech industry leaders alike are highlighting the importance of reining in wildlife trafficking. Through the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online, IFAW, in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund and TRAFFIC, 47 global e-commerce and social media companies have now enacted voluntary restrictions on the trade of imperiled wildlife, as well as wildlife parts and products, on their platforms.

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For more information and to arrange interviews, please contact:

Katie Arberg
Communications Manager, U.S.
+1 703 307 1869
karberg@ifaw.org