This article, published in the New York Times, discusses the relationship involving Google, Backpage.com and sex trafficking in the United States.  It is safe to say that most people are familiar with Google and their enormous online presence, but they may not be aware of their connection to backpage.com and the widespread problem of sex trafficking.  Backpage is a classified advertising website offering classified listings and was the second largest classified ad listing service on the Internet in the United States behind Craigslist.  This same website is also involved in 73 percent of cases of suspected child sex trafficking in the U.S. (Kristof, 2017).  While Google doesn't advertise with or endorse the site, the main issues discussed in the article surround the push-back from Google which is thwarting the efforts of those attempting to prosecute the sex trafficking offenders.  

The dispute surrounds a Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects internet companies like Google (and The New York Times) from lawsuits and also protects Backpage  (Kristof, 2017).  Google believes that this could create a slippery slope in regards to the freedom of the internet.  The bill specifically targets those intentionally engaged in trafficking children, so many question as to why Google is so concerned with the bill passing, especially when other top tech firms-such as Oracle, were quick to support the legislation.

Sex trafficking, rape and FGM clearly raise serious moral issues about human autonomy, agency and rights to bodily integrity (Mackinnon, 2017). The moral and ethical dilemma here should be clear, supporting sex trafficking by any means is immoral and unethical.  The exploitation of many workers coerced into sex trafficking is a serious concern and the sexual morality of the abusers is hard to defend.  The reality of the situation is that regardless of how indirect companies such as Googles involvement is with sex trafficking, by opposing the legislation, they are preventing the process which intends to safeguard victims and demand accountability.

References:

Kristof, N. (2017, September 07). Google and Sex Traffickers Like Backpage.com. Retrieved November 01, 2017, from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/opinion/google-backpagecom-sex-traffickers.html

Mackinnon, B. & Fiala, A. (2017). Ethics: Theory and contemporary issues. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.