Did you know that land can be sold on Facebook Marketplace? You didn't. I didn't either. Did you know that people tried to sell land in Amazon rainforests on Marketplace? I didn't know that either! It is illegal to sell land within ecological conservation areas. This can have serious consequences for the fauna and flora of the area and the people who live there. Facebook announced Friday that it would change its commerce policies to prohibit the sale or transfer of protected land via its Instagram and WhatsApp platforms.
After a February BBC investigation into Facebook's Marketplace, which found that large parcels of land in Brazil were being illegally sold on Craigslist alternatives by many people, Facebook announced the news. The BBC discovered that the plots were often sold without a title denoting ownership. This was due to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest by the Brazilian cattle industry.
Amazon.com is now closed.
According to the BBC, in February, the social network did not want to stop illegal land sales in Amazon. However, Facebook's commerce policies require that buyers and sellers comply with all laws and regulations. Facebook has taken a more aggressive stance several months later (and amid scandals). According to Facebook's new policy, listings may not be used to promote the sale or buying of animals, animal products, or land within ecological conservation areas. Facebook plans to cross-reference listings with a database of protected lands to identify those who violate its policy.
Even though it was delayed, the move is still a positive one. It's the timing that makes this unusual. Facebook has dealt with leaked research and whistleblowers calling out their hypocrisy. There was also a major global outage. Facebook's multi-weekly, shabby cake is not able to stop the sale of Amazon rainforest.
