TECHNOLOGY FOR HUMAN

TRAFFICKING & SEXUAL

EXPLOITATION – TRACE

PROJECT FINDINGS & RECENT

UPDATES

Trilateral Research Ltd.

Crown House

72 Hammersmith Road

W14 8TH, London

+ 44 (0)20 7559 3550

@Trilateral_UK

TRILATERAL RESEARCH LTD

Trilateral Research is a leading London-based multidisciplinary research,

consulting and technology development company

Small enterprise (SME) ≈28 staff members

Involved 20-25 projects at any given time

Almost all research and technical staff have postdoctoral experience

(≈90% have PhDs)

Extensive publication list and excellent international profile

TRACE WEBSITEhttp://trace-project.eu

Funded by the European Commission under the 7th

Framework program

Grant agreement no: 607669

May 2014 – April 2016

Increase

knowledge on

perpetrators

Support

counter-

trafficking

efforts

Info on

responding to

the criminal

enterprise

behind THB

TRACE

Handbook

Technology

Current & future trends

WHAT WE DID AND WHY WE DID IT

Identified and mapped different types of technologies

being used to facilitate, prevent & combat human

trafficking

Category 1 – web-based (internet, applications)

Category 2 – software & hardware

Assessed the use

Identified trends (current and future)

Provided guidance for the TRACE audience:

Civil society organisations

Law enforcement agencies

Policy makers

Methodology to produce: 1 x report, briefing papers,

handbook

FACILITATION

Technology facilitated trafficking:

“[…] the social and technical ecosystem wherein individuals use

information and communication technologies to engage in human

trafficking and related behaviors.” (Latonero et. al)

Facilitation of human trafficking for sexual exploitation through:

Recruitment

Exploitation

FACILITATION

Web-based

Adult entertainment

Social networking sites

Advertisements & classifieds

Applications skype)

Web sites (including dark web)

online dating sitesonline forums

Peer to peer networks

Hardware & software

Cameras, video, images & other recording devices

Telephone, mobile & landline

Desktop computers, laptops & tablets

Scanners, fax machines

Television programming services

Email

FACILITATION EXAMPLE:

X & J

X, y & ors. Charged with human trafficking having sexually exploited minors including J.

Key technologies facilitated recruitment & exploitation:

- Public chat room

- Private messenger - Text message- Camera phone: Photographs- Video

FACILITATION EXAMPLE:

DARK WEB

Name: NicoleAge: 18 years oldEthnic origin: CaucasianCountry of Origin: United StatesAbducted in: ParisHeld in: EUWeight: 47kgMeasurements: 32A-24-34No STDsNicole’s starting bid is set at 150,000$.Auction set to 19 July 2015.

FINDINGS

Technology solutions facilitate communication and easy travel, all key ingredients in the business of human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Technologies should not be treated in isolation. Rather, it is often a combination of technologies that are used for recruitment and exploitation.

Social networking sites and key applications (instagram) that enable two-way communication and the sharing of video and image are instrumental in the recruitment and exploitation of trafficked persons.

However, the extent to which SNS are utilised for technology facilitated trafficking in different member states is not yet known

Users of SNS disclose a large amount of personal information about themselves and others intentionally & unintentionally, including location tracking. This can disclose the whereabouts of trafficked persons after they have escaped.

Paramount that individuals are educated about the dangers of making personal information available online.

COMBATTING

After trafficking and exploitation have occurred and requires action/ enforcement

Technologies can potentially assist in combatting human trafficking for sexual exploitation:

Range from online databases to collaborative tools

Combatting human trafficking and assisting victims = mass of data

Databases and data analytics – information can be stored, organised and analysed in an efficient and useful manner

Financial monitoring of business aspects of human trafficking can interrupt flow and disrupt business

COMBATTING

Web-based

Online forums

Crawler tools

Online petitions

Crowdsourcing

Web sites

Adult entertainment

Social networking sites

Hardware & software

Case management tools

Police computerisationsystem and databases

Financial tracking

Geographic information systems

I2 software

Email

COMBATTING - EXAMPLE

UNODC case law database

Publicly available repository of summaries & full court cases to support successful convictions

2014 – more than 1000 cases from 83 countries

People can contribute new cases directly by contacting the UNODC

COMBATTING

EXAMPLE: X & J

J’s mother contacted police.

Key technologies used in police investigation and prosecution:

examined J’s mobile phonewire tapping serviceintercepted incriminating emailslocated hard drive – 300 photos of minorsevidence given via video link for court case

FINDINGS

The use of technology by traffickers leaves a digital footprint, which law enforcement officials should follow. In addition, law enforcement agencies should

“follow the money”, and can use technological tools to do this.

Social media is a useful tool to combat human trafficking. Traffickers may have accounts on social media. Trafficked persons may know about these accounts, especially if they were initially friends with the trafficker or were recruited via social media. By following the traffickers on social media, law enforcement officials can engage in investigative work.

Data analytics and data visualisation tools help process data to provide meaningful insights on elements of human trafficking such, as demographics of victims, hot spots, networks.

PREVENTION

Technology-based prevention initiatives target the time period before acts have occurred

Aim to lessen the risk for potential trafficked persons

Initiatives involve the use of the internet and other web-based technologies to:

Provide education and training activities

Information and awareness raising campaigns

Research

Training of officials

Potential for technology tools to assist in prevention by:

Exposing

Monitoring human trafficking

PREVENTION

Web-based

Adult entertainment

Social networking sites

Applications skype)

Web sitesonline petitionsonline forums

Hardware & software

Computer games

Financial tracking

Television programming services

Email

E-learning training programs

PREVENTION EXAMPLE

Prevention

through social

media &

awareness

raising

PREVENTION EXAMPLE:

X & J

J & mother + civil society organisation created an online campaign about thedangers of online grooming.

Website includes:Informative leafletsExplanatory videos (how to recognise grooming)Online forum

FINDINGS

Technology gives communities social empowerment

Members of the public are able to become involved in prevention through:

Games

Forums

Websites

Petitions

However, it is uncertain to what extent trafficked persons are aware of technology-

based prevention efforts

POST TRACE RESEARCH

TRACE+

Existing disparities (8 Law Enforcement Agencies interviewed) in the use of technology, including data analytics

Few initiatives around web crawling

TRACE+ VISION

Provide a data analytics platform that can be taken to market, and a training package, to

improve investigation capabilities and better understand the data, and its value, surrounding

the crime of THB. In the long run this will allow the solving of the crime more rapidly, reduce

social impact and costs of investigations and enhance the day-to-day work of LEAs in

combating human trafficking. Furthermore, TRACE+ will provide recommendations for policy

makers on how to harness the benefits of technology in fighting human trafficking.

CAN WE USE CROWD KNOWLEDGE SOURCING TO HELP VICTIMS OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION?

In the on-going search for how to solve missing pieces of a crime

puzzle and related to this, recognising their own limits, Europol

launched a Crowd Knowledge Sourcing website:

https://www.europol.europa.eu/stopchildabuse.

Community Policing example

EUROPOL’S INITIATIVE

No matter how ‘ideal a technical control system may appear in the

abstract under ideal laboratory conditions or successful in the short

run, the world of application is often much messier and more

complicated than the public relations efforts claim’ – G. Marx

• privacy and ethical implications

• unintended consequences

• requirement for an active public

• Motivation (?)

• Momentum (?)

“Technology is neither good nor bad; nor is it neutral.” - Melvin Kranzberg.

Technology always needs to be justified, controlled and serve a purpose and not be

developed for the sake of it.

Good to undertake a PIA+ (Privacy Impact Assessment with Social and Ethical

considerations)

BUT ALWAYS REMEMBER….

CONTACT US

E-mail: anna.donovan@trilateralresearch.com

julia.muraszkiewicz@trilateralresearch.com

Website: http://trilateralresearch.com

Twitter: @Trilateral_UK

Phone: +44 (0)207 559 3550

Address: Crown House

72 Hammersmith Road

W14 8TH, London

United Kingdom