Human trafficking beyond borders: Challenges for public security in the transnational world

Author: Middleton, Jennifer

Abstract: Digital information and communication technologies have increased sex traffickers’ reach and anonymity, potential victims’ vulnerability, and buyers’ selection, driving an explosion in criminal human trafficking and exploitation. Addressing the need for public security in this domain requires the use of these technologies via data aggregation, analytics and computational forensics. Gathering and analyzing data in new ways will allow for a greater understanding of how sex trafficking is being performed in the digital world by providing insight into the modus operandi of sex traffickers, and providing valuable information about the victims themselves. This, in turn, will inform more effective public security responses and victim aid to these crimes.

Keywords: human trafficking, sex trafficking, labor trafficking, information and communication technology (ICT), cybercrime, data mining, Memex, deep web