Human Trafficking and ICTs in Paraguay: An Exploratory Study

In the current context of Paraguay, the fight against gender-based violence facilitated by technology takes on a new dimension with the investigation titled “Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation in its Intersection with ICTs in Paraguay: An Exploratory Study.” This work, carried out with the support of Grupo Luna Nueva, the Ibero-American Research and Specialization Association (AIETI), and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), aims to shed light on a little-studied and rapidly growing phenomenon: technology-facilitated human trafficking¹.

This research is part of our broader advocacy effort in Paraguay to produce data that allows for a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of gender-based violence at its intersection with technology. In a world where information and communication technologies (ICTs) are transforming how we interact, they also facilitate new forms of exploitation. This study seeks to reveal how ICT is being used to recruit and exploit victims of human trafficking, especially for sexual exploitation, both online and offline, to begin generating evidence on this evolving phenomenon.

Research Methodology

The research was developed through a mixed-methods approach that combined literature review, legal mapping, and data collection through public information requests and interviews with key institutions in Paraguay².

1. Literature Review: Studies and articles published since 2020 were reviewed, focusing on keywords that helped map situations of human trafficking and sexual exploitation facilitated by ICT. This review allowed us to understand how this problem is perceived in the public sphere and establish a solid theoretical foundation.
2. Legal Mapping: The current legal framework in Paraguay related to human trafficking was analyzed, with a particular focus on sexual exploitation both online and offline. This analysis revealed the need to update laws to address new digital realities.
3. Information Requests and Interviews: To complement the data obtained, public information requests were made to various institutions, such as the Public Ministry, the Ministry of Women, the National Police, and the Ministry of Childhood and Adolescence. Additionally, interviews were conducted with key officials, whose on-the-ground experience and knowledge were crucial in filling informational gaps.

Challenges, Opportunities, and Findings

The research highlighted several key challenges and opportunities in the fight against human trafficking, especially for sexual exploitation, in the digital age.

Challenges:

• Lack of Disaggregated Data: Public institutions lack detailed data that would allow for an understanding of the prevalence of technology-facilitated trafficking (TFT) and sexual exploitation, both online and offline. There is no information on where the victims recruited through social networks or messaging channels come from, nor are there specific assistance strategies for these victims.
• Legal Framework Limitations: Regarding the current legal framework, a significant challenge is moving beyond the current typification of human trafficking, which is inevitably associated with proving the stages of recruitment, transportation, and exploitation of victims. ICTs only eliminate the transportation phase and redefine recruitment and exploitation. Therefore, cases of technology-facilitated trafficking (TFT) must be incorporated into the current legal framework for effective victim protection and redress in all phases of exploitation.

Opportunities:

• Approval of a Data Protection Law: It is urgent to pass a comprehensive data protection law in Paraguay. This law would improve awareness of the information shared online and the population’s digital security practices. It would also provide a more robust framework for data collection and protection, crucial for understanding how trafficking networks operate in the digital environment. Specifically, it is important that the Inter-institutional Table for the Prevention and Combating of Human Trafficking gets involved in this debate through the public institutions that make it up and supports the discussion of the current personal data protection bill.
• Adaptation of Public Policies: Public policies must be adapted to include these new digital realities. It is essential that authorities recognize not only traditional platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp but also new platforms like Discord, TikTok, and OnlyFans, which are being used to recruit and exploit victims.

Findings:

• Central Role of ICTs: ICTs plays a crucial role in recruiting victims for sexual exploitation. The research identified Facebook and WhatsApp as the main recruitment platforms, but it also highlights the emerging role of Discord, TikTok, and OnlyFans in online gender-based violence.
• Disproportionate Impact on Women, Girls, and Adolescents: Technology-facilitated trafficking disproportionately impacts women, girls, and adolescents, who are the main victims in these cases of sexual exploitation, both online and offline. This finding underscores the urgent need for specific protection policies for historically vulnerable groups.
• Inequality in Response Capacity: The research shows that the public institutions’ response capacity is insufficient due to a lack of resources and territorial presence, especially regarding technology for the comprehensive protection and redress of victims.
• Need for More Research: There is an urgent need for more research to obtain updated and systematized data on recruitment mechanisms in Paraguay. This is crucial for designing effective, evidence-based public policies.

In line with our findings, this research is a call to action for policymakers. It is essential to consider the role that technologies play in phenomena such as human trafficking and sexual exploitation, both online and offline, which in themselves already represent a significant challenge in combating gender-based violence in Paraguay. Additionally, it is crucial to promote and encourage research that will allow for more and better data, which will help to conceptualize and systematize this phenomenon in greater detail.

The research also highlights the urgent need to provide more resources to the various institutions that, despite having empirical knowledge of the phenomenon, lack sufficient data to anticipate and mitigate this problem effectively. Only with an integrated approach that includes better data, greater institutional support, digital literacy, and protection of our information can we design more effective and comprehensive responses to address this challenge.

We invite everyone interested in this topic, from policymakers to civil society organizations, to download and read the full report.

Click here to access the report and learn more about the findings of this research.

1Mark Latonero defines “technology-facilitated trafficking” as: a social and technical ecosystem in which individuals use information and communication technologies to engage in human trafficking and related activities (Latonero, 2012 p. 10).

2The interviews were conducted anonymously to ensure an honest discussion on the topic of study.