Technology And Child Sex Trafficking: A Comparative Study Of The United States, Venezuela, And The Philippines

The global sex trafficking industry – with profits over $150 billion annually – will eventually become the number one crime in the world. It exists on a global, planetary scale and primarily affects the most marginalized populations of society. The numbers are staggering, and the statistics provide only a glimpse into the reality of the epidemic that is sex trafficking. Because sex trafficking touches the most vulnerable populations, it largely preys on children in every country and in every city. Modern day slavery far surpasses any of the past slavery in both number and scale, while most of the public remains seemingly unaware of its presence. However, as the paradigm of child sex trafficking gradually shifts towards greater uses of technology, it seems possible to leverage what appears as an enabler to also become an inhibitor. My thesis seeks to define technology’s role in both the perpetuation and the prevention of child sex trafficking globally. It aims to shed light on progress made in the developed world, specifically the United States, and apply that to countries in the developing world, specifically Venezuela and the Philippines. The thesis will compare the roles of technology in these places in order to identify any possible anti-trafficking solutions. It looks at the various degrees to which technology fuels trafficking in each of the three countries and seeks to pinpoint the places where it can serve to deteriorate the supply and demand industry of child sex trafficking