Technology Innovations in Fighting Slavery and Human Trafficking

The scale of slavery and human trafficking is unfathomable. The Global Slavery Index estimates 40.3 million people are enslaved around the world. While the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda is to end all forms of human trafficking by 2025, it is a problem that is growing exponentially, with no signs of abating. Therefore, out of the box, innovative approaches utilizing the latest technologies, intervention models, and outreach strategies must be created to yield the greatest impact in our effort to mitigate the problem. This chapter focuses on innovative practice based on human-centered design thinking and design justice frameworks. Three examples of innovation are presented, highlighting how they are being used in the field to combat human trafficking. The first, Thorn Spotlight, utilizes technology to accelerate victim identification, empower communities and equip law enforcement with tools to improve the efficiency of their investigations. The second innovation, Bluenumber, uses a self-sovereign identity system to facilitate transparency in the workplace, reducing vulnerabilities to exploitation. The final case study, Project Gridlock, uses software designed to disrupt potential cyber trafficking during large-scale events like the Super Bowl. These three case studies exemplify how technological innovations can offer promising solutions to disrupt slavery and human trafficking and support its victims. Positive trends, potential challenges, and best practices are offered in this chapter, as well as recommendations for next steps.