New Phone App Will Help Americans See The Amount Of Forced Labor In What We Buy

A new phone app will help Americans see how much forced labor was involved to make the things we use each day.

From CNN-—

“Was your smartphone made in a sweatshop? Were those diapers made by slaves? Were children in another country forced to put that stitching in your designer jeans?  Consumers will be able to find out after the debut Thursday of a new app and website that measure the forced labor in everyday products.  Created by the U.S. State Department and a watchdog group, the free app and website will make consumers aware of their “slavery imprint.” “This is a new way to create awareness about the issue of modern slavery and empower consumers,” said Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, director of the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.”

Here is the website of State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

While at the website, I signed up for e-mail updates.

Government has a role in informing consumers about the things they purchase. In this way, consumers can make decisions with as much information as possible.

I’m certain I buy things that are made with forced labor. I imagine we all do.

The good news is that we can address this problem and change how goods are made.

Government has a role in protecting the workers who make the products we buy in the United States. In a connected world, we cannot  just wash our hands of the consequences of our decisions.

As mentioned above, Luis CdeBaca runs the State Department Trafficking office.

The Trafficking office reports to the Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs. Her name is Maria Otero. 

The U.S. Department of Labor has produced a report about which nations in the world use child labor and what types of products are produced by child labor. 

A Republican state senator in Missouri proposed earlier this year that Missouri role back child labor laws.

While this proposal did not pass, Republicans are going after many of the protections that American workers have in our nation.

It is good that our federal government is involved in important work of addressing forced labor and human trafficking. Such work helps consumers at home, and helps working people all over the globe.

It is work that shows the United States living up to the promise of freedom for all.