Anti-Human Trafficking Apps Increase Awareness And Action From Churches To Truck Stops
July 11, 2019The United Nations (UN) wants to end slavery by 2030. Slavery is the second largest criminal industry in the world—tied with arms dealing—with 40 million people in some form of servitude and profits of $150 billion in 2015. This will require action from individual citizens, government leaders, and corporate executives.
Technology is often used to enable human trafficking, but leaders from all sectors of the tech world are starting to use this same power to help stop sexual exploitation and forced labor.
In 2018, Vodafone, BT, Microsoft, Amazon, and Nokia, along with nonprofits, and the UN launched Tech Against Trafficking, a collaborative effort to address forced labor and human trafficking. One of the first things the group did was to compile a list of almost 200 apps, tools, and data-driven projects (PDF) that help identify victims as well as criminals involved in modern day slavery. These tools include everything from blockchain, artificial intelligence, facial recognition, and phone apps.
Groups ranging from truck drivers in America to members of the Church of England are building apps to help community members spot people who might be trafficked and report concerns.
To read the full article by Veronica Combs on TechRepublic: Click Here