Tech-based solutions offer hope of progress at this year’s TAT summit
Global stakeholders share ideas for leveraging technology in anti-trafficking work, the UK sanctions entities connected to Southeast Asian scamming compounds, and Survivor Alliance launches its latest leadership academy program.
The need for data sharing and standardization across sectors to be prioritized in the design and implementation of anti-trafficking technology solutions, and for businesses to hire and consult with survivors for their expertise and experience when developing programs, were key messages at this year’s Tech Against Trafficking (TAT) summit in New York.
The importance of collaboration was another focus topic, and discussions among the more than 140 global representatives from across the anti-trafficking field highlighted that companies across the tech industry and beyond should work together to share information related to trafficking threats and to address them; that buyers should engage with suppliers as solution partners to cascade human rights due diligence along value chains; and that businesses should partner with governments to help close the technology knowledge gap in government and support the development of effective forced labour regulations locally and globally.
Hosted by Meta and Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), the second TAT summit explored the nexus between technology, forced labour, and labour trafficking, facilitating honest dialogue about technology’s benefits and shortcomings. Representatives from the worlds of business, civil society, academia, and government, as well as survivors, discussed the state of the field, highlighting successful cases as well as gaps, while deep dive panels looked at how forced labour is manifesting online – e.g. through recruitment and cyberscams – and in global supply chains. Expert panels considered how emerging technologies such as generative AI are shifting the landscape, and how specific solutions such as worker voice applications can be leveraged in ways that lead to meaningful impact. Panelists also explored ways in which a stronger data ecosystem could be created for labour rights, what good public policy on forced labour looks like, and what businesses can do to disrupt the financial footprint of forced labour.
The potential of technological innovation to enable anti-trafficking organizations to significantly reduce forced labour and labour trafficking were demonstrated by initial outputs from the TAT Accelerator, a cohort-based program intended to help anti-trafficking organizations deploying promising technological solutions accelerate the development, impact, and utilization of their tools. Polaris and the Issara Institute, the two participants of the TAT Accelerator Program in 2023, described how they are using mobile apps, worker voice solutions, data analytics, and generative AI to serve vulnerable workers around the world.
TAT’s other recommendations for the anti-trafficking community, based on discussions at the summit, include: the creation of an improved data ecosystem with privacy-preserving mechanisms through which actors across different sectors can share information while ensuring the safety of workers and survivors; support from supply chain buyers for capacity building and continuous human rights improvements in their suppliers – particularly SMEs – and the use of tech solutions which allow data to flow both ways; and the acknowledgement that policymakers have a critical role to play in incentivizing data sharing and corporate transparency.
In 2024, TAT is planning to continue to advance the use of technology by anti-trafficking organizations through its Accelerator Program; explore practical solutions to strengthen the supply chain labour rights data ecosystem; facilitate industry collaboration to prevent the misuse of technology to facilitate human trafficking; and work with survivor leaders to ensure that these efforts serve the best interests of vulnerable groups.
Here’s a round-up of other noteworthy news and initiatives:
The latest report by the UK Home Affairs Committee reveals gaps in the country’s human trafficking response, with concerns about insufficient progress and a disappointing lack of commitment demonstrated through claims that migrants are “abusing the system”, the absence of an updated modern slavery strategy, and an 18-month delay in appointing a new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner. The report emphasizes the urgent need for renewed efforts in prevention and prosecution, especially regarding business transparency and the growing number of child victims.
The UK government’s recent publication of its first list of sanctioned individuals and companies linked to Southeast Asia’s forced scamming epidemic is a significant step in tackling the issue, observers say, amid hopes that other nations will follow suit. The move, comprising 46 sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans, underscores the UK’s commitment to deterring human rights abuses globally, reflecting a broader strategy involving multiple approaches to combat transnational criminal phenomena such as trafficking for forced criminality, according to the UK Foreign Office.
And on Friday, Interpol reported an increase in the prevalence of online scamming globally, with the majority of cases concentrated in Southeast Asia. Scam centers using forced labour are also emerging in Latin America.
The CIVICUS Monitor’s 2023 report points to a significant global shift away from civic freedom, with almost one third of the world’s population, around 30.6 per cent, residing in countries with “closed” civic space – the highest recorded since 2018. Additionally, the report underscores concerning trends, such as intensified intimidation tactics, challenges faced by democratic nations, and several countries, including Venezuela and Bangladesh, witnessing a decline in civic freedoms.
Niger’s military junta has repealed a 2015 anti-migration and anti-trafficking law aimed at curbing the smuggling of migrants through the country into Europe, citing a lack of consideration for Niger’s interests. The move, seen as an attempt to regain local support, complicates the country’s relations with the EU.
This blog post highlights the work of the Urban Light Foundation in Thailand, focusing on its efforts to combat sexual exploitation and the trafficking of men and boys. The foundation’s initiatives, supported by the Fostering Youth Leadership in Thailand program, address the lack of gender-sensitive care for this population.
Researchers in Europe or Central Asia with a connection to sex worker-led movements are invited to join the European Sex Work Research Network (ESWORN) and contribute to impactful research and advocacy.
Survivor Alliance has announced the launch of the Survivor Leadership Academy 2024/2025, supported by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and the Sherwood Foundation, offering an 18-month leadership development initiative designed to address the gap in survivor leadership within the anti-trafficking sector and promote overall system change. The program is open to survivors nationwide in the United States.
Share your news
Post your experiences from the field and initiatives to feature