More than 21 leading tech companies have come together to stop the illegal online trade of endangered wildlife animals on their platforms. 

E-commerce and social media giants Alibaba, Baidu, eBay, Google, Microsoft, and Tencent will monitor their apps to make them inoperable for banned wildlife trade. “The tech companies have pledged to work together to collectively reduce wildlife trafficking across platforms by 80 percent by 2020,” World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said.

The tech companies are collaborating with WWF, TRAFFIC, a wildlife monitor and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to help each company develop and implement policies to end wildlife trafficking online.

Read More: China bans elephant ivory trade

“Tencent has always adopted a zero tolerance towards illegal wildlife trade on its platform, and a direct portal enables users to report suspected wildlife trafficking on Tencent’s WeChat platform under our ‘Tencent for the Planet,'” said, Shu Mengying, a manager in Tencent's security department.

The company has also launched a reporting initiative called "Illegal wildlife and products," to encourage users to participate and support wildlife conservation activities through awareness programs. 

Read More: Gabon busts illegal ivory network after China's ban

According to estimates from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the annual value of wildlife crime is up to 20 billion US dollars.  

The massive trade in ivory alone leads to the brutal poaching of more than 20,000 African elephants every year. Around three rhinos are killed each day in South Africa alone for their horns resulting in the decimation of the rhino population, WWF maintained. 

The Global Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online consists of: Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, Kuaishou, Baixing, Huaxia Collection, Shengshi Collection, Wen Wan Tian Xia, Zhongyikupai, Zhuanzhuan, 58 Group, Qyer, Google, Facebook, Instagram, Microsoft, eBay, Etsy, Mall for Africa, Pinterest and Ruby Lane. All the companies will collaborate to quash wildlife traders attempting to sell these products through their platforms.   

The failure of the European Union (EU) and Japan to curb illegal online trading of ivory is likely to put law enforcement agencies in China and its special administrative region Hong Kong under severe stress.

Read More: How the EU and Japan are threatening China's ivory ban

TRAFFIC and WWF are supporting Chinese Internet companies to share innovative experiences through this global coalition as part of global collective efforts to address wildlife cyber crime” said Zhou Fei, Head of TRAFFIC’s China Office and Wildlife Trade Program of WWF China.

“This is another significant move following the Chinese Internet companies' coalition led by Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent established last November in Beijing,” said Zhou.