A.I. et al: Sailing the internet’s oceans to deter sex buyers

• In Event: Considering and Evaluating Choice-Based Policies and Perspectives

Abstract

An international framework exists that provide legal obligations and commitments for countries to discourage the demand that fosters trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It proposes a range of responses to discourage demand. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation has documented 15 major types of tactics that have been used in more than 2,490 U.S. cities and counties to deter sex buyers from engaging with prostitution and sex trafficking systems. One of these tactics, technology-based enforcement and deterrence methods, have been used in at least 36 locations in the United States. Four main technology platforms have been identified that collectively contributed to thousands of sex buyers being deterred from purchasing sex. Using a combination of chatbots, artificial intelligence, and natural language processing, as well as constructed websites, photos, and mobile technology, these tools show great potential for scaling and ‘sailing’ the vast oceans of the internet to deter those who purchase others for sex. The findings from a literature review and purposive interviews with developers and users of these technologies will be presented, and recommendations for future research and the harmonization of consumer-level demand reduction tactics, are offered.

Authors

• Marcel Van der Watt, National Center on Sexual Exploitation

• Jordan Marshall, National Center on Sexual Exploitation