DHS, Lyft partner on human trafficking prevention campaign

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is teaming up with ride-hailing company Lyft to prevent human trafficking and raise awareness on the issue, the department announced Wednesday.

The partnership, between the DHS Blue Campaign and Lyft, will include a tutorial program to help ride-hailing drivers in the United States and Canada recognize and prevent human trafficking, the agency said in a press release. The tutorial will be available in Lyft’s app for drivers.

DHS’s Blue Campaign is a public awareness campaign aimed at informing the public, law enforcement and other industries on how to detect and respond to possible human trafficking cases.

Axios was the first to report the partnership.

The campaign will kick off Sunday during the Super Bowl in Las Vegas, where drivers will receive a notification about available resources on human trafficking. DHS noted these types of incidents are more common during large events like the Super Bowl.

“This partnership will help raise awareness of this heinous crime, teach drivers the signs that indicate someone may be a victim, and provide them with resources to help, including guidance for how to contact the right authorities,” DHS wrote in a statement.

The State Department estimates there are 27.6 million human trafficking victims worldwide at any given time.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Wednesday that preventing human trafficking “requires a whole-of-society effort.”

“The Department of Homeland Security’s new partnership with Lyft — which will teach drivers who interact with millions of riders every year to identify and help disrupt human trafficking — will help save lives and avert tragedies,” he wrote.

Lyft is among more than a hundred other Blue Campaign partners in transportation, lodging and private sector industries, the agency said.