Apple once threatened Facebook ban over Middle East maid abuse concerns

Apple relented and Facebook and Instagram remained in the app store (Andy Wong/AP)

Apple threatened to pull Facebook and Instagram from its app store two years ago over concerns about the platform being used as a tool to trade and sell maids in the Middle East, documents show.

After publicly promising to crack down, Facebook acknowledged in internal documents obtained by the Associated Press (AP) that it was “under-enforcing on confirmed abusive activity” that saw Filipina maids complaining on the social media site of being abused.