Parts of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil are being sold illegally through Facebook. Forest areas, including protected tribal forests, are being sold illegally. Sales were taken place through Marketplace, Facebook’s classified advertising service. According to the BBC, acres of forest have been put up for sale in this way. However, Facebook has stated that it will not take any direct action on the issue. The company has said it is ready to cooperate with the local government for this. The leader of one of the most protected communities in the area has asked Facebook to take action. They also allege that the government is not taking action to curb the illegal sale of forest land.
These ads can be easily found on Facebook Marketplace. Some advertisements include satellite images. The sellers openly state that they do not have any documents approved by the Brazilian government to prove ownership of the land and assure that there will be no harassment from the government authorities. In these areas where wildfires and deforestation are rampant, the forest area is being illegally cleared and sold for cultivation. Environment Minister Ricardo Salles has said the Bolsanaro government will not tolerate crimes against the environment. The government is taking action on issues like deforestation and wildfires. But he added that the expansion of Covid has affected law enforcement in the Amazon region. Salles said state governments also have a responsibility to protect the forest.
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