2. Athanassia Sykiotou - Ancillary Meeting_THB_2

7/31/2019 2. Athanassia Sykiotou - Ancillary Meeting_THB_2

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The Impact of the Interneton Trafficking in Persons

The Internet as well as other forms of technologies, have becomenew means of recruitment of victims for many forms of crime,because they are:

anonymous;

rapid;

easy to use;

costless;

criminals need not be at the scene of the crime;

it can reach simultaneously many victims; and

It can have results in different places at the same time.


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Use of new technologies by traffickers

Recruitment of victims;

Exploitation of victims;

Advertisement of victims' services;

Attract clients and

Avoid police interception of their communications


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Components of trafficking in persons

Three components in trafficking in persons:1.Use of specific means,

2. Specific action and

3. the purpose of exploitation


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The main questions that need to be asked :(1)

1. What are the most common ways in which the Internet is used inthe trafficking in persons process?

2. What use is made of the Internet, not only for recruitment purposes,but also to attract clients, advertising and communication purposes, aswell as to report and investigate such crimes ?Important to investigate Internet-related trafficking in relation to:a) the use of Internet by traffickers to recruit the victims, as well as the

profile of traffickers, sites/industries, clients and victims themselves;b) the use of the Internet to detect, report and disrupt the recruitmentand exploitation of victims; and


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(2)

c) the use of Internet to support intelligence-led investigations on

trafficking in persons.

3. Which actions need to be taken by relevant sectors (be it the privatesector, government agencies, non-governmental organizations) in orderto bring more attention to the target groups (victims and possibly

clients)?

4. How can potential victims be protected against all formsof trafficking when the Internet is used? In particular:

a) How can the Internet be used to raise awareness and

prevent trafficking in persons?b) What measures should be taken to ensure that the

Internet is not used by traffickers (proactively:referring not only to monitoring and filtering

mechanisms but also to financial measures thatwould prevent trafficking transactions both of traffickers and


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(3)

of potential clients)?

c) Could a global reporting mechanism for trafficking activities onthe Internet be created?


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Forms of trafficking in human beings that havebeen documented to date

(1)

a) Sexual exploitation (exploitation of the prostitution of others)and its contiguous activities (activities related to exploitation even ifthey are not considered as trafficking per se, e.g. sexual tourism; ifrelated to exploitation of prostitution);

b) Child pornography ;c) Forced or bonded labour (for both adults and children);d)Domestic slavery/servitude;e) Mail order brides;f) Forced marriage;

g) Trafficking for the purpose of removal of organs, tissues andcells (including any other elements of the human body e.g. blood,plasma, ova);h) Trafficking in babies or children for the purpose of illegaladoptions;


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(2)

i) Trafficking in surrogate mothers(either by the form of trafficking in already pregnant

women or of women who are impregnated with the

purpose to use the babies for illegal adoptions ortrafficking in organs);

j) Trafficking for begging (especially of invalid persons,mainly children);

k) Trafficking in (mainly) children, for the

commission of crimes (such as stealing);l) Trafficking in children for their involvement in

armed conflicts or terrorist activities.


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Forms of trafficking related to the use of theInternet

Sexual exploitation;

Labour exploitation;

Domestic servitude;

Mail order brides (mainly for advertising);

Trafficking for illegal adoptions (including

babies and surrogate mothers); and

Trafficking for the purpose of the removal

of organs


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Factors that increase the use of technology bycriminals

More generalised access to the Internet;Increased number of Internet users each year;Increased affordability of technology and services;Anonymity of users;Speed it is fast (leaving only digital traces);Ease of use;Criminals ability to work from home and operate in many countriesreaching an indefinite number of victims;Difficulty in tracing (since criminals can operate in many countriesand digital traces are difficult to track);Inability of victims to denounce the perpetrators because theiridentity might be unknown to them;The high profitability of crime in relation to the investment required;Lack of appropriate State policies and legislation and lack ofuniform international legislation that creates problems not only in

prosecution but in jurisdiction in general.

n s etween nternet an recru tment o


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n s etween nternet an recru tment ovictims for trafficking and advertisement of their

services :

Victims are deceived by fake advertisements (baby sitting;

modelling, etc.) or through chat-rooms and social networks andthen may be forced to produce pornographic material;Victims recruited in traditional ways may be forced to contactclients on-line contributing to their own further victimisation;Trafficked victims may be traded or their services advertised to

clients via the Internet.


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Attempted typology of traffickersusing Internet to recruit victims

Distinction of traffickers according to:

The method of recruiting their victims; Whether they choose to transfer their victims abroador not for exploitation; How they use the Internet and their involvement in thecreation of sites; Their personal involvement in the exploitation of the

victims (e.g. exploitation for personal use and notnecessarily for economic profit); Their level of association with transnational/nationalorganized criminal networks.


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Key role players in thetrafficking process:

Traffickers

Victims

Clients

Service providers and

Other stakeholders that facilitate the trafficking process

through the Internet (such as financial institutions that allow

payment by credit cards and also the press and/or the media

that might host deceptive advertisements)

Use of the Internet in the trafficking


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Internet can be used as means for the

commission of any form of trafficking in personsbut also as means to:

a) report the crime;b) detect criminals;c) assist intelligence led investigations;

d) prosecute;e) disrupt criminal activities; andf) facilitate international cooperation

Use of the Internet in the traffickingprocess


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Objectives in fighting human trafficking

Not only to gather evidence and bring suspects to justice,

but also:

to end the exploitation;

to protect and support victims and witnesses;

to confiscate the financial profits of the crime and

to prevent re-occurrence.


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Main difficulties in prosecuting Internet relatedcases of trafficking

1. Traffickers may be located anywhere in the world

2. Difficulty in the timely location of perpetrators and

preservation of digital evidence

3. No international binding legislation for Internet or Internet

related crimes and the retention of data by ISPs


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Reporting of Internet related cases of trafficking:

Could assist all levels of law enforcement by providing onestreamlined reporting tool that would enhance informationsharing and collaborative efforts to combat trafficking in

persons.


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Detection of crimes:

Two elements are of importance to the

investigation of such cases:a)The conservation of data by the Internet Service

Providers (ISPs); and

b) The good detection of files.

Questions that can be answered by the digital


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Questions that can be answered by the digitalevidence:

a) Where were the perpetrators and the victims

during the recruitment (same or different country)?b) When and with whom have the perpetratorshave communicated?c) Did the perpetrators have the intention of

committing the crime?


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Disruption of trafficking activities

An international financial coalition is crucial to stop the on-linetransactions related to human trafficking

e creat on o a g o a ata ase cou nten


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e creat on o a g o a ata ase cou ntento:(1)

1. Facilitate rapid identification of, and contact between:

a) institutions and organisations active in the anti-trafficking

sector in different countries (NGOs, local authorities,

government bodies, universities, etc.); and

b) working on different forms of trafficking (sexual exploitation,

forced labour, organ trafficking, illegal international adoptions,

mail-order brides, etc.);


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(2)

2. It could Address different target groups (children, men,

women, trans-gender people, communities, social and health

workers, educators, teachers, law enforcement officers, judicial

personnel, etc.);

3. Support different types of action (detection of cases;

reporting; disruption of trafficking activities and assistancedirectly aimed at trafficked persons);


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(3)

4.Facilitate the exchange of up-to-date information on

organisations, projects, activities and services concerned withtrafficking; and of professionals in this field who need to

contact their counterparts in other countries; and

5. Encourage networking and co-operation between

organisations working on trafficking.


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Identified recommended actions

a) Assessing the use of new information and communication

technologies by traffickers for the recruitment of victims andadvertisement of their services via the Internet;

b) Developing technologies to detect, report and disrupt therecruitment and exploitation of victims via the Internet;including tracking and blocking credit card payments forInternet-related human trafficking transactions;

c) Supporting intelligence-led investigations in the use of newtechnologies and trafficking in persons.

Actions for the Government:


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Actions for the Government:(1)

a) Harmonisation of Internet legislation aiming at the retention

of data by Internet Service Providers, including the possibility

of withdrawal of any prohibition related to data protection forany action related to human trafficking investigations, while

ensuring the protection ofbona fideusers;

b) Compliance of national provisions on trafficking in personswith the Trafficking in Persons Protocol;


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(2)

c) Standard setting(preferably harmonised at theinternational level) for various types of web sites and services

offered through the Internet, e.g. employment or marriage

agency sites;

d) Institutionalise capacity development measures to increasethe capacity of law enforcement authorities to investigateInternet-related trafficking cases;

e) Ensure regular monitoring and investigation throughinnovative and specialised investigative methods andtechniques by law enforcement authorities, combined withpreventive action to alert potential victims and clients;


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(3)

f) Conduct regular analysis of reported cases to help createprofilingsystems for sitesand tools used to recruit victims via the Internet,by:

Gathering all information on Internet-related cases of humantrafficking using existing systems (such as Interpol, Europol,Eurojust) to which only authorised persons would have access; Gathering tactical intelligence about the methods of recruitment; Refining methods for analysing patterns and sharing informationon trafficking in persons cases carried out through the use of theInternet; Developing specific indicators to detect different forms oftrafficking in persons through the Internet.

A i f R h i i i


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Actions for Research institutions:

Research on the impact of new technologies on humantrafficking on an national and international level, to assess to

what extent the Internet has contributed to the recruitment of

victims of trafficking and to the continuation of their

victimisation (e.g. use of sites by potential clients).

Actions for International organisations:


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Actions for International organisations:

(1)

a) Support capacity development measures to increase the capacityof law enforcement authorities to investigate Internet-relatedtrafficking cases;

b) Support international measures to improvethe reporting,detection and disruptionof human trafficking activities usinginformation and communication technologies;

c) Support the analysis of reported cases to help createprofilingsystems for sitesand tools used to recruit victims via the Internet.This is to assist in the development of prevention initiatives and torecognize characteristics of offenders and potential victims (takinginto account the risks in creating stereotypes);

(2)


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(2)

d) Support the expansion of clearing house mechanisms for

streamlined on-line reporting on trafficking in persons via the

Internet by:- Enhancing cooperation among specialized units dealing with

recruitment of victims of trafficking via the Internet;

- Building upon mechanisms such as the CyberTipline and

other on-line hotlines to include reporting on trafficking inpersons.

A ti f th P i t t


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Actions for the Private sector:

a) Support the development of tools to prevent and detecttrafficking in persons via the Internet

b) Cooperate with Governments to ensure that the adoption of

policies to help prevent and combat trafficking in persons via theInternet.

c) Facilitate investigation and prosecution efforts by helping restoredata to and taking action to block online advertisements proven to

be related to exploitative practices (for Internet Service Providers).

c) Promote awareness on the safe use of the Internet for bothpotential victims and clients.


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Actions for the Civil society


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Actions for the Civil society

a) Provide information and other services to victims, whilst

building on the knowledge and information gathered by law

enforcement, intelligence units and trafficking victimsthemselves (e.g. Counselling of Internet trafficking victims inorder to avoid re-victimisation); and

b) Promote awareness on the safe use of the Internet for both

potential victims and clients.-


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Thank you!

2. Athanassia Sykiotou - Ancillary Meeting_THB_2

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