Google has always found a way to help the world out. Even though the company is far from its small roots, Google still strives for social good. In collaboration with three organizations, Google is launching the Human Trafficking Hotline Network. The network will provide a way for people to report human trafficking activity.

Is human trafficking that big of a problem? Amazingly, around 20 million people around the world are human trafficking victims, according to Cnet. That's an astonishing number of people suffering from modern day slavery. What is Google going to accomplish with this hotline?

Why Google Has Started a Hotline

Google's hotline isn't like all the rest. There are plenty of regular hotlines around the globe, but going after tech oriented traffickers proves impossible for volunteer-based hotlines to track. Google, on the other hand, has the known-how to track down traffickers, and, more importantly, to gather data.

Google wants to gather the data from all of the human trafficking hotline phone calls, and trace these calls back to specific locations. Google isn't the only company getting in on the human trafficking fight. Salesforce and Palantir Technologies are both using company technology to pinpoint human trafficker locations. Combining all of the efforts from these companies may prove to be one very effective way of hunting down trafficking culprits.

Sharing Data Makes a Difference

Not only can companies like Google collect necessary trafficking data, but combining the data collected by all of the participating companies can morph into something else entirely. Sharing data across companies is one of the best ways to paint an entire picture about trafficking kingpins.

As mentioned, Google is also working with three main trafficking organizations including Polaris Project, Liberty Asia, and La Strada International. In order to help these organizations, Google has provided each organization with $3 million to go towards the trafficking project.

The Company Side of Things

Google has given millions to help fight human trafficking already. The company has been working on this particular cause for some time now. Does this mean that Google is not a heartless corporation? Yes...and no. Nearly every company donates some amount of money to fight a cause. Sure, it's a noble cause that Google is backing, but that doesn't mean that other companies aren't doing the same types of things.

Does this really matter? No. The fact remains that Google is helping to fight human trafficking by tying technology with help hotlines, and that's a really good thing. Trafficking seems like something that's only present in movies and in books, but it's actually something that's quite real. How can you help? If you want to contribute something towards the trafficking effort, you can always donate funds.

Or, possibly more importantly, you can volunteer your time. These trafficking hotlines don't always have the manpower needed to handle the volume of calls that they receive. Donating a few hours of your time could help to save a life. To find out more about Google's new cause, visit Google's website, and search for the Human Trafficking Hotline Network.