An NTCA Board member told me it was important to "make it a priority to find something good to engage in every year," which I thought was a great way to summarize our new collaboration with the Guardian Group, Operation IFAST–ISPs Fighting Against Sex Trafficking. I love finding ways for the rural broadband industry to give back to the communities they serve, and I am proud of the NTCA Board for leading the way on this important work.
Operation IFAST is an important initiative that originated with CL Tel (Clear Lake, Iowa) and the Guardian Group to prevent and disrupt the sex trafficking of women and children in the United States. The effort brings the ISP industry together in the fight against sex trafficking through a scalable model that expands the reach of the Guardian Group.
To be clear, so many great things are powered by the internet. Whether it’s the ability to access educational opportunities or telehealth or the deployment of smart ag tools or the ability to stay in touch with loved ones, the internet does so much good. But for all those amazing tools, the internet is also the most common place for the recruiting of sex trafficking victims. The internet service provided by NTCA members was designed for immense good, but we know it can also be used for unthinkable evil.
Upon first engaging with the Guardian Group, I was horrified to learn that 150,000 new escort ads are posted online in America every single day. Seventy five percent of underaged victims report being sold online and 88 percent of minor victims had a trafficker report wanting help. Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal activity in our country and rural America is not immune from this epidemic. Sex trafficking is happening in small town America and local ISPs and their teams are often the eyes needed to recognize and report situations of potential trafficking while working tickets or installing service.
So, what does it really mean to join this network with the Guardian Group? It's really rather simple: train, connect and raise awareness and funds.
Train: The Guardian Group, a team of former intelligence professionals, offers an online training course that allows NTCA providers to educate and train their teams. The training is self-paced, free of charge and gives guidance on how to report potential trafficking situations to local law enforcement or the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
Connect: Members can connect local law enforcement to the Guardian Group's free resources to help police and other agencies get a proactive edge in combating sex trafficking, saving them time and resources.
Raise Awareness and Funds: Raising awareness and funds is also a part of the plan, because it’s important to highlight the work that’s taking place to disrupt sex trafficking. Companies are encouraged to host community events with local leaders or chip in to help the Guardian Group in a way that works for them.
Joining us in Operation IFAST is quick and easy, and it will go a long way to help eradicate sex trafficking and protect young people. I found this video that the Guardian Group shared during our first discussions to be sobering and impactful, and I would encourage everyone to take two minutes to watch it as well.
While our efforts now are focused on getting NTCA members to be the primary drivers in this effort, I hope to take this movement to other broadband providers in our industry with hopes that everyone will embrace it and the need to utilize the internet for good.
To learn more about Operation IFAST, scan this QR code or visit this website and join our movement.
