On Wednesday, Uber announced their partnership with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to execute a plan that assists with the governor's human trafficking awareness initiative.
Since 2016, Uber has worked with NCMEC and the McCain Institute to educate Uber drivers on how to combat child sex trafficking properly. Uber will send out an in-app message to all their drivers in Texas by teaching them how to spot and report victims of sex trafficking.
"Ending human trafficking in Texas requires all of us to do our part, and I thank Uber for answering the call to action to help raise awareness and put a stop to this heinous crime,” said Gov. Abbott.
NCMEC stated, “One in seven endangered runaways reported to the organization in 2017 was likely a child sex trafficking victim.”
The average age of a sex trafficking victim is 15, according to NCMEC. John Clark the President and CEO, stated that sex trafficking is a significant problem in the U.S., but the problem can be combated by informing people and building organizations that are dedicated to helping victims.
“As part of our commitment to this cause, we’ll be providing an in-app message to our driver-partners across the state that includes information about available resources and encourages our driver-partners to be vigilant,” said David Brightman, general manager for Uber Texas.
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