This summary of the video was created by an AI. It might contain some inaccuracies.
00:00:00 – 00:10:20
The video investigates the illegal online sale of domestic workers in the Gulf, facilitated through apps available on major platforms like Google, Apple, and Instagram. Undercover by the BBC News Arabic team, it exposes an app called "For Sale" in Kuwait, where domestic workers are listed alongside goods like cars. The investigation not only reveals gross violations of both national and international laws on modern slavery and human trafficking but also shows a policeman advising illegal practices, such as confiscating workers' passports.
The segment becomes more disturbing when a woman offers to sell a child, violating Kuwaiti laws. Amie Labula, the UN Special Rapporteur, confirms this situation as modern slavery. The problem is exacerbated by the kafala system, tying workers' visas to their employers, and facilitated by tech giants’ platforms.
A specific case involves Fatu, an underage girl from Guinea, who after being found through investigative efforts is placed in a shelter and deported back to her home country. The authorities take no legal action against individuals involved, while the implicated app "For Sale" removes the section for domestic workers and distances itself from the allegations. Major platforms like Facebook, Google, and Apple express their commitment to preventing such illegal activities. Despite these discoveries and global scrutiny, these digital slave markets persist, underscoring the need for greater regulatory action and enforcement.
00:00:00
In this segment of the video, it is revealed that women employed as domestic workers in the Gulf are being sold online through apps approved by Google and Apple, turning these platforms into an online slave market. The BBC News Arabic team posed as a couple looking to buy a domestic worker in Kuwait and discovered an app called ‘For Sale’ where domestic workers are listed alongside items like cars and TVs. The team spoke to 57 users who were selling domestic workers without their knowledge, violating both national and international laws on modern slavery and human trafficking. The investigation also found similar listings on a Saudi app and Facebook-owned Instagram. Undercover meetings with sellers included a policeman who advised the team to break the law by confiscating the worker’s passport and denying her time off.
00:03:00
In this part of the video, the undercover team prepares to meet a seller and is shocked to find that a woman is offering to sell a child. The child appears withdrawn and confused. This act is a violation of Kuwaiti law, which prohibits employing domestic workers under the age of 21, and could result in up to six months of imprisonment for the woman. The footage is shown to Amie Labula, the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, who confirms that this is a clear example of modern slavery. She emphasizes that such actions violate both national and international laws. Additionally, the segment highlights the involvement of major tech companies like Google, Apple, and Facebook, which inadvertently host apps facilitating illegal sales of domestic workers through platforms like Instagram. This online slave market is perpetuated by the kafala system in the Gulf, where a worker’s visa is tied to their employer.
00:06:00
In this part of the video, it is highlighted that domestic workers in Kuwait cannot quit their job or leave the country without their sponsor’s permission, despite strong laws against sponsor abuse. Apps like For Sale, Haraj, and Instagram facilitate the illegal selling of worker sponsorships, creating a black market that heightens the risk of abuse and exploitation. The video mentions Anna Bunda, the founder of Sandigan, an NGO advocating for domestic workers’ rights in Kuwait. Following her advice, the team presents evidence of an underage girl to the authorities. Ten days later, the authorities find the girl, Fatu, who had been sold to another employer. She is taken to a government shelter, interviewed, and deported back to Guinea. Fatu, one of many underage girls trafficked from Guinea, worked for three households in nine months in Kuwait but was only paid for two. She is now with an adopted family in Conakry and wishes to share her story.
00:09:00
In this part of the video, it is revealed that there are still thousands of domestic workers being bought and sold on apps like Instagram, Haraj, and others available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. Following an investigation, no legal action has been taken against the individuals involved in selling a domestic worker named Fatu, and the Kuwaiti government declined to comment further. The app “For Sale,” implicated in the case, removed its domestic workers section and condemned the allegations. Facebook stated they do not allow human exploitation content on Instagram. Haraj, another app used in Saudi Arabia, also did not comment. Both Google and Apple expressed that such behaviors have no place on their platforms and are collaborating with developers to prevent illegal activities.