Kuwait moves on online slave traders after BBC investigation
Women were offered for as little as £3,000 as workers via hashtags such as "maids for transfer" or "maids for sale"
Kuwaiti authorities have officially summoned the owners of several social media accounts used to sell domestic workers as slaves after BBC Arabic's investigation reported illegal slave market apps online.
According to the investigation Google, Apple, and Facebook-owned Instagram provided online slave markets, BBC reports.
Authorities say those involved have been ordered to take down their ads where Women were offered for sale as workers via hashtags such as "maids for transfer" or "maids for sale".
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They have also been compelled to sign a legal commitment, promising no longer to participate in this activity.
A police officer who was also featured in the BBC report is under investigation by the authorities.
Many of the most widely used accounts for buying and selling domestic workers appear to have stopped their activity.
Dr Mubarak Al-Azimi, head of Kuwait's Public Authority for Manpower, said it was investigating the woman featured in the BBC report who sold a 16-year-old girl from Guinea - whom we are calling "Fatou" - via an app.
Kimberley Motley, an American international lawyer who has taken on Fatou's case, said: "I believe the app developers, as well as Apple and Google, should definitely provide compensation for Fatou.
Ms Motley also called for criminal charges against those involved in trafficking Fatou to Kuwait.
Instagram said it had also taken action since it was contacted by the BBC. It said it had removed further content across Facebook and Instagram and would prevent the creation of new accounts designed to be used for the online slave market.
Google and Apple said they were working with app developers to prevent illegal activity on their platforms.
However, on Thursday, BBC News Arabic published its undercover investigation which found domestic workers were being illegally bought and sold online in a booming black market.
People in Kuwait could buy domestic servants for as little as £3,000. The owners were advised to keep their maid's passport and take away her phone while denying her any time off
