Measuring technology presence in trafficking: Introducing the Social Media and the Internet in Trafficking of Humans (SMITH) data project.

People worldwide have benefited from globalized communication networks made possible by advancements in social media and the internet. Although many use these online resources innocently, both domestic and international experts have noted that criminals are exploiting social media and the internet....

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Journal of Human Rights Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 128 - 137
Autor principal: Hayes, Spencer
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Taylor & Francis Ltd Jan-Mar2026
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=191948905&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ssf
    uiTerm: 191948905
    longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson)
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        14754835
        J49
      jtl: Journal of Human Rights
      issn: 14754835
      maglogo: N
    pubinfo:
      dt: Jan-Mar2026
      vid: 25
      iid: 1
      pid: 377
      pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd
    artinfo:
      ui:
        191948905
        10.1080/14754835.2025.2590766
      ppf: 128
      ppct: 9
      formats:
      tig:
        atl: Measuring technology presence in trafficking: Introducing the Social Media and the Internet in Trafficking of Humans (SMITH) data project.
      aug:
        au: Hayes, Spencer
        affil: University of Connecticut
      su:
        Social media
        Internet
        Crime
        Human trafficking
        Law enforcement
        Government programs
        Employee recruitment
        Data analysis
      sug:
        subj:
          Social media
          Internet
          Crime
          Human trafficking
          Law enforcement
          Government programs
          Administration of Human Resource Programs (except Education, Public Health, and Veterans' Affairs Programs)
          Human Resources Consulting Services
          Internet Publishing and Broadcasting and Web Search Portals
          Wired Telecommunications Carriers
          Police Protection
          Other Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities
          Employee recruitment
          Data analysis
      ab: People worldwide have benefited from globalized communication networks made possible by advancements in social media and the internet. Although many use these online resources innocently, both domestic and international experts have noted that criminals are exploiting social media and the internet. Traffickers have begun using these tools to recruit and sell trafficked people. Understanding how social media and the internet are involved in human trafficking is necessary to establish policies that curb their misuse and identify trafficking-related activity online. Most existing human-trafficking data sources estimate the prevalence of human trafficking using victim reports of exploitative activities. But estimating human-trafficking prevalence is difficult due to prosecutions often reclassifying charges, persistent underreporting, and a lack of a uniformly accepted definition of human trafficking across jurisdictions. This article introduces a novel dataset that numerically categorizes human-trafficking prosecution cases by their use of technology, rather than focusing on prevalence estimation. The Social Media and the Internet in Trafficking of Humans Data Project (SMITH) illustrates how traffickers incorporate technology into the recruitment and sale of persons and goods, and law enforcement applications in investigations. The SMITH dataset is a critical new tool for research and policy initiatives to combat modern trafficking.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
    refInfo:
    copyright:
      @attributes:
        flag: N
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N