Human Trafficking: How Does Technology Help Victims?

Technology in human trafficking is used in various ways, including identifying victims and providing services for them. It is also a great tool to educate the public about human trafficking and assist law enforcement in combating this crime. On the other side, perpetrators use technology in human trafficking to recruit, lure, and control victims. 

Continue reading to learn about the role of technology in human trafficking, including how traffickers can use social media to recruit and control victims and how technology can assist victims in various ways.

What’s In The Article?

• The Prevalence Of Human Trafficking

• How Traffickers Use Technology In Human Trafficking

• The Role Of Technology In Helping Human Trafficking Victims

• Final Thoughts

The Prevalence Of Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is the world's second-largest and one of the fastest-growing criminal industries. This crime can be difficult to detect since it frequently takes place under the umbrella of legitimate businesses or employment arrangements.

Human trafficking victims are often forced into prostitution or labor situations, but they can also be forced into domestic servitude or child sex tourism. Victims are isolated from communities and kept indoors, which makes it more challenging to identify them without the help of others who may notice something suspicious at a specific location, such as an apartment building. Technology has played a vital role in helping law enforcement identify human trafficking victims as well as their perpetrators.

How Traffickers Use Technology In Human Trafficking

The use of technological advances in crimes and illegal acts has grown. Traffickers, for example, may use GPS to track the location of their victims.  Social media can also be used to impersonate other people, spread malicious images or videos, and stalk victims. Technology in human trafficking has made it easier for traffickers to monitor their victims, control them and hide from law enforcement. Traffickers can also manipulate information by posting false ads or creating fake profiles on social media platforms to lure potential victims and reach more people on the internet.

Recruitment Online

One of the most widely used tools for traffickers to recruit, control, and sell victims is the internet. This act is also known as cyber-trafficking. It's been going on for years, but with more advanced tools, it's now easier than ever.

Posting advertisements online promising lucrative jobs abroad at high salaries with little experience required is a common tactic of traffickers to use technology in human trafficking. These advertisements frequently include images of alleged executives working for these companies and phone numbers that, when dialed, lead nowhere since there is no actual company behind them. Traffickers may also pose as a mentor or a friend offering advice on how to get away from abusive home life. 

The Role Of Technology In Helping Human Trafficking Victims

Technology can be used to identify traffickers and assist victims. Apps like TraffickCam, for example, let you upload photos of hotel rooms or cars you've stayed in so that law enforcement can use them as evidence against traffickers. The sections that follow discuss the various ways in which technology in human trafficking helps victims.

GPS

GPS tracking systems are used to assist victims of human trafficking in multiple ways. It can be used to monitor or locate victims and traffickers as well as the trafficker's assets. Law enforcement will use this data if they find someone who has been caught trafficking others since it shows where they've been over time.

Mobile Applications

Mobile applications can be an effective tool for human trafficking survivors. One app in particular, TraffickCam, allows users to upload photos of hotels and motels where they stay to compare them to a database of known trafficking hotspots. Users can also provide feedback on the safety of their hotel rooms using the app. This information assists law enforcement officials in determining whether or not to investigate suspected trafficking sites.

Mobile applications can also connect victims to services that can assist them in recovering from their experiences with human trafficking. For instance, Crisis Text Line provides support via text messaging so that people who have been trafficked do not have to discuss with others what happened during their exploitation. This will relieve pressure on victims, who may feel overwhelmed by conversations about their experiences.

AI and Automation

By analyzing data from social media platforms and online dating sites, AI can assist in identifying victims. Information can be analyzed using machine learning algorithms that search for suspicious activities. One example of this is the Traffic Jam by Marinus Analytics. Traffic Jam is an AI tool that helps law enforcement combat human trafficking and find missing persons. 

This tool can analyze imagery of a missing person and compare it to numerous ads and websites on the internet.  It narrows the search, saving time and speeding up law enforcers' investigations. According to the company, Traffic Jam saved about 70,000 investigating hours in 2020.

Final Thoughts

Technology in human trafficking comes with both risks and benefits for victims. It can help identify victims, connect them with social service organizations, and educate the public. There are also apps and websites available for those who want to report suspected cases of human trafficking or provide any useful information.

It is also critical to consider how traffickers might use technology in human trafficking. Because of technological advancements, they can now recruit potential victims and exploit them more easily than ever before. Technology can be a powerful tool to end human trafficking if we put effort into developing technological advancements that can help victims.