TECHNOLOGY FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING & SEXUAL EXPLOITATION TRACE PROJECT FINDINGS & RECENT UPDATES

Transcription

1 TECHNOLOGY FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING & SEXUAL EXPLOITATION TRACE PROJECT FINDINGS & RECENT UPDATES Trilateral Research Ltd. Crown House 72 Hammersmith Road W14 8TH, London + 44 (0)

2 TRILATERAL RESEARCH LTD Trilateral Research is a leading London-based multidisciplinary research, consulting and technology development company Small enterprise (SME) 28 staff members Involved projects at any given time Almost all research and technical staff have postdoctoral experience ( 90% have PhDs) Extensive publication list and excellent international profile

3 Funded by the European Commission under the 7 th Framework program Grant agreement no: May 2014 April 2016 TRACE WEBSITE

4 Technology Increase knowledge on perpetrators Support countertrafficking efforts Info on responding to the criminal enterprise behind THB TRACE Handbook Current & future trends

5 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

6 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

7 FACILITATION Web-based Adult entertainment Social networking sites Advertisements & classifieds Applications (Instagram, skype) Web sites (including dark web) online dating sites online 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

8 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

9 FACILITATION EXAMPLE: DARK WEB Name: Nicole Age: 18 years old Ethnic origin: Caucasian Country of Origin: United States Abducted in: Paris Held in: EU Weight: 47kg Measurements: 32A No STDs Nicole s starting bid is set at 150,000$. Auction set to 19 July 2015.

10 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.

11 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

12 COMBATTING Web-based Online forums Crawler tools Online petitions Crowdsourcing Web sites Adult entertainment Social networking sites Hardware & software Case management tools Police computerisation system and databases Financial tracking Geographic information systems I2 software

13 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

14 COMBATTING EXAMPLE: X & J J s mother contacted police. Key technologies used in police investigation and prosecution: examined J s mobile phone wire tapping service intercepted incriminating s located hard drive 300 photos of minors evidence given via video link for court case

15 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.

16 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

17 PREVENTION Web-based Adult entertainment Social networking sites Applications (Instagram, skype) Web sites online petitions online forums Hardware & software Computer games Financial tracking Television programming services E-learning training programs

18 PREVENTION EXAMPLE Prevention through social media & awareness raising

19 PREVENTION EXAMPLE: X & J J & mother + civil society organisation created an online campaign about the dangers of online grooming. Website includes: Informative leaflets Explanatory videos (how to recognise grooming) Online forum

20 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

21 POST TRACE RESEARCH TRACE+ 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. Existing disparities (8 Law Enforcement Agencies interviewed) in the use of technology, including data analytics Few initiatives around web crawling

22 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: Community Policing example

23 EUROPOL S INITIATIVE

24 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 (?)

25 BUT ALWAYS REMEMBER. 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)

26 CONTACT US Website: Phone: +44 (0) Address: Crown House 72 Hammersmith Road W14 8TH, London United Kingdom