The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Blue Campaign and Lyft, Inc. announced a new tutorial program that will help rideshare drivers in the United States and Canada detect and prevent human trafficking. The tutorial is one part of a first-of-its kind partnership between Lyft and DHS Blue Campaign. Lyft will feature the Blue Campaign’s human trafficking resources in Lyft’s driver-only in-app Learning Center. 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.
“A crime as globally pervasive as human trafficking requires a whole-of-society effort to shine a light on these heinous acts; identify, protect, and support victims; and bring perpetrators to justice,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Key private sector partnerships and targeted trainings are critical to the success of our counter-human trafficking mission. 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.”
“Human trafficking — the illegal exploitation of a person — is a heinous crime. We have zero tolerance for it,” said Lyft CEO David Risher. “We’re proud to partner with DHS’s Blue Campaign to raise awareness on the issue, so the one million people who drive on the Lyft platform can recognize and report it when they see it.”
Lyft joins more than 100 other Blue Campaign partners across the transportation, lodging, and private sector industries working to combat this crime. Official partners can elect to receive in-person education from Blue Campaign subject matter experts as well as co-branded educational and awareness materials tailored to the mission of their organization.
As the first major activation of the new partnership, Lyft, Inc. will send a notification to drivers in the Las Vegas area during Super Bowl 2024 to advise drivers that they have the tools available to them to recognize the signs of this crime. Crimes like human trafficking can be more prevalent during events like the Super Bowl due to the mass volume of people and anonymity that large gatherings provide.
Blue Campaign is a national public awareness campaign run by the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT). It is designed to educate the public, law enforcement, and other industry partners to recognize the indicators of human trafficking, and how to appropriately respond to possible cases. The CCHT coordinates efforts of 16 DHS offices and Components to combat human trafficking through law enforcement operations, victim protection and support, intelligence and analysis, and public education and training programs.
