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Around the world, technology is used for so many things, such as communication, tracking, payment services, and collaboration. The portability of technology has made it easier to conduct deals and payments without leaving paper trails. Though these purposes themselves are not criminal, traffickers’ use of technology is usually criminal and exploitative. Traffickers are able to evade law enforcement detection using special features on apps and cell phones. The use of payment apps, such as Bitcoin and CashApp, make it easy to transfer money without there being a direct trace of who it is from. Technological advancements through the years have made it easier to make accounts that hide your identity and make it difficult for law enforcement and the government to detect who really is behind the computer. Technology is used for more harm than good at times. Blocking viewers from finding your IP address, being able to hide behind fake usernames and easily hacking into someone else’s account makes it hard to track down predators. For example, web scraping technology to find phone numbers has been used to identify sex trafficking victims and offer them help. Other tools are used to fight online predators and find human trafficking victims. Multiple agencies and organizations have created ways to combat human trafficking through the use of technology and beating traffickers at their own game. With the help of technology, the fight against human trafficking will continue to be strong and will help give many victims a voice and freedom. |
Technology Fighting Human Trafficking |
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Turning the Tables on Human Traffickers |
The ‘success’ of human trafficking can be attributed to the traffickers strong use of technology to seal clandestine deals without leaving large traces of their transaction behind. However, law enforcement agencies have discovered ways to get around the firewalls traffickers have created. Large amounts of data are the new most important weapon for fighting human trafficking. Law enforcement agents need 24/7 access in order to cross reference suspected criminals, detect patterns in behavior and track any lost or stolen travel documents. The older techniques for fighting criminals are no longer beneficial considering law enforcement uses technology that now requires codes in order to unlock password protected devices and analytical devices. Tools such as data mining, mapping, computational linguistics, and advanced analytics can be used by the government, as well as NGOs and law enforcement, to further anti-trafficking goals. In 2010, the University of Southern California’s Information Sciences Institute (ISI) and the Center on Communication Leadership and Policy collaborated to develop prototype software designed to detect possible cases of sex trafficking of minors online. By doing so, they soon realized technology’s ability to make human trafficking more detectable and traceable. |
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How Exactly Is Technology Fighting Human Trafficking? |
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Organizations across the globe are using the advancements in technology to reach out to victims and aid in the fight against human trafficking. Some of the most important technological advancements include: |
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Tech Against Trafficking – Their Mission and Impact |
Tech Against Trafficking is a coalition of technology companies collaborating with global experts to help eradicate human traffickers from using technology. Their goal is to work with law enforcement, academia, and survivors to identify and create technology solutions that disrupt and reduce human trafficking; that can help prevent and identify crimes; and that provide remedy mechanisms for victims and survivors through innovation, collaboration, guidance and shared resources. By focusing on knowledge sharing, research and technological solutions, Tech Against Trafficking hopes to put an end to traffickers using technology and provide the aid and resources victims and survivors will need. |
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Freedom Network USA: Grounding and Growing for a Stronger Anti-Trafficking MovementFounder Pam Strickland and Community Outreach Coordinator Melinda Sampson from ENC Stop Human Trafficking attended a two-day conference in Alexandria, Va., to better serve the state of North Carolina. From in-depth break-out sessions about labor trafficking to building a stronger approach to prevention programming, the Freedom Network USA Grounding and Growing conference welcomed professionals from across the country to share their expertise, build connections and delve deeper into issues surrounding the anti-human trafficking movement. |
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