Google, Meta and Amazon among 11 tech giants pledging to eliminate illegal wildlife listings online

(London, 23 June 2026)—Global tech giants have agreed on new commitments to combat wildlife trafficking at the United for Wildlife Business Forum, convened by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.  

The Forum, held on 22 June, brought together more than 200 senior representatives from the technology, finance and transport sectors. The event reflected the growing recognition that tackling wildlife crime requires coordinated action beyond the conservation community. Speakers included Lord Hague of Richmond, co-chair of United for Wildlife, former US Vice President Al Gore, and actors Emma Watson and Benedict Cumberbatch, who joined The Prince of Wales for an on-stage discussion. 

Eleven leading tech firms—including Google, Meta, TikTok, Amazon, Pinterest, Etsy, eBay, and Alibaba—committed to eliminating illegal wildlife listings, using AI to strengthen detection and prevention online. The commitment was shaped by a coalition of specialist NGOs working in the wildlife crime space. This includes WWF, TRAFFIC, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)—all founding members of the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online—alongside the Royal Foundation. 

"These commitments from the world's most influential technology platforms represent a genuine step forward in the fight against wildlife trafficking online,” said Christian Plowman, Global Wildlife Cybercrime Program Manager, IFAW. “The illegal wildlife trade is worth an estimated $23 billion a year, and it has long exploited the same digital infrastructure that connects the rest of us. IFAW has been part of the coalition shaping these commitments, and we are not under the illusion that pledges alone are enough—what matters now is implementation, enforcement, and accountability. We look forward to holding platforms to the standards they have publicly endorsed." 

Collectively, these companies represent approximately one-fifth of the global e-commerce market and reach an estimated 90% of the world’s social media users, offering significant potential to disrupt online wildlife trafficking at scale. 

The commitment reflects growing recognition of the role online platforms play in facilitating wildlife trafficking. It also underscores the importance of public awareness campaigns, such as IFAW’s ‘Liked to death’ campaign, which highlights how everyday social media behaviours can drive demand for the illegal wildlife trade. 

Beyond the technology sector, companies in finance and transport also announced new measures. Vodafone, Vodacom, and Safaricom committed to deploying artificial intelligence to strengthen anti-money laundering and transaction monitoring systems on the M‑Pesa mobile money platform. Mobile payment platforms such as M-Pesa are increasingly used to move illicit funds linked to wildlife trafficking across range states in Africa, where cash transactions are harder to trace. 

Meanwhile, financial and blockchain analytics firms including PayPal, TRM Labs, Chainalysis, and Luno pledged to help identify and disrupt illicit financial flows linked to wildlife trafficking. 

In the transport sector, British Airways and Heathrow Airport launched a new public awareness campaign aimed at preventing the illegal movement of wildlife products by travellers. 

While the Forum was designed primarily as a business-led platform, NGOs were invited to engage directly with industry leaders to drive scalable solutions. 

Discussions also reflected a growing understanding of the role of technology, with participants acknowledging that artificial intelligence is a powerful tool—but not a standalone solution—in addressing complex criminal networks. 

The United for Wildlife initiative, founded by The Royal Foundation, has played a pivotal role over the past decade in bringing public and private sector actors together to tackle the illegal wildlife trade. These commitments announced during London Climate Action Week, and marking the 10th anniversary of the Buckingham Palace Declaration, signal continued momentum and deeper cross-sector collaboration. 

IFAW remains committed to working alongside partners to ensure these commitments translate into measurable outcomes for wildlife and communities. 

ENDS 

Press contact: 
Kirsty Warren, Senior Communications Manager 
kwarren@ifaw.org 
+44 (0) 7809269747 

Notes to editors 

About IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) - IFAW is a global non-profit helping animals and people thrive together. We are experts and everyday people, working across seas, oceans and in more than 40 countries around the world. We rescue, rehabilitate and release animals, and we restore and protect their natural habitats. The problems we’re up against are urgent and complicated. To solve them, we match fresh thinking with bold action. We partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organisations and businesses. Together, we pioneer new and innovative ways to help all species flourish. See how at ifaw.org