PROGRAMS
Cyberspace has transformed how illegal groups operate, amplifying a multitude of harms.
This is a big, multi-faceted challenge that requires a unified, systemic response.
ACCO is uniting a global constituency to drive change.
Research
Our members examine a wide range of crime sectors, from the of smuggling endangered animals to romance scams and the spread of child sex abuse content.
Kathleen Miles, ACCO’s director of analysis, speaks at the 2019 Changemakers Conference in London.
Advocacy
Our members advise law- and policymakers across a range of serious crimes.
We uplift the experiences of harmed constituencies to help them find a path to justice.
ACCO member Amy Neville explaining in Congress that more than 20% of all fentanyl deaths in 2022 & early 2023 can be linked to purchases facilitated by Snapchat. Amy lost her 14-year-old son Alexander, after a drug dealer communicated with him over Snapchat to sell him a deadly pill.
Education
ACCO members provide guidance and training on how to stay safe online for both adults and children
ACCO’s research and members have played a role in litigation, court filings, and complaints:
We’ve filed a multi-chapter complaint to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission showing evidence that Meta Inc earns hundreds of millions of dollars annually off organized crime activity ranging from human and wildlife trafficking to drug sales.
ACCO member Lady Freethinker is suing YouTube for failing to remove animal abuse content.
ACCO members VOID and Alexander Neville Foundation have filed a complaint against Snapchat on behalf of families who lost kids to deadly fentanyl tablets purchased online.
ACCO member research is being used to support federal and civil litigation against Meta, Tik Tok and YouTube.
ACCO experts provide data-driven, non-partisan analysis
Our members have been invited to provide Congressional Testimony & other legal analysis by ACCO Members
Testimony by Gretchen Peters to House Energy & Commerce 2019
Testimony by Kathleen Miles to House Finance 2021
Testimony by Gretchen Peters to House Finance Committee 2020
Testimony by Gretchen Peters to House Natural Resources 2021
Testimony by Gretchen Peters to House Finance Committee 2023
Tech companies should face a reasonable duty of care
To keep their users safe from predators.
A duty of care is a legal obligation requiring adherence to a standard of reasonable care to avoid careless acts or behavior that could foreseeably cause harm to others.
When applied to organized crime activity, a duty of care requires brick and mortar companies to do a reasonable job to keep illegal activity off their premises.
As an example, a hotel will face legal liability if it becomes a haven for child prostitution. A nightclub could get shut down if it becomes known as a magnet for drug-dealing or violence.
However many laws around the globe, including Section 230 of the U.S. Communications Decency Act, define user-generated online content as protected free speech, even when it represents illegal conduct or predation.
These laws are effectively a giant subsidy to tech companies, and leave people harmed online without a path to justice.
Selling a child for sex, or defrauding an elderly person isn’t free expression, it’s exploitation. We believe that the laws governing cyberspace can and should define the difference between protected free expression and criminal conduct.
Fixing Section 230: A Webinar by ACCO and U.S. Lawmakers
In 2021, ACCO teamed up with the American Prospect and American Affairs to host a bipartisan webinar series about the 26-word law that governs cyberspace in the United States.
The four panels examined flaws in today’s application of Section 230 and considered suggestions for revising the provision.
The panels featured comments by bipartisan lawmakers, discussions with policy and technology experts, as well as individuals who have been impacted by platforms’ failure to curb unlawful activity on their services.
EDUCATION
ACCO members work to help people around the world stay safe online.
Shubert Mwarabu, Director of ACCO’s Africa Program, at a training session in Dar es Salaam.
Training Tools
ACCO has developed multiple training tools and outreach programs to address how illicit actors are weaponizing the surface web, and how you and your loved ones can stay safe.
We offer a multi-part training program that can be delivered online or in person.
Our members at VOID have led outreach to more than 50,000 U.S. students about the threat of fentanyl tablets and other deadly pills sold online.
Our members Advocating for You Against Romance Scams provide tips for spotting scammers on TikTok and Instagram.
If you are interested in our help, reach out to us.
ACCO is proud to support a team of African youth activists providing training and media outreach to young people in a part of the world where Internet use is growing fastest, and young people get the least training about the risks.
Our innovative training programs combine comedy and music to reach young people.
Watch a video about our work here.