Isolation from technology and social networks increases risk of labor trafficking, USC study finds

Download the report (PDF) Migrant workers who are isolated from technology and social networks are more vulnerable to human trafficking, forced labor, and exploitation. These and other findings are detailed in a powerful new report, Technology and Labor Trafficking in a Network Society, released today by the Center for Communication Leadership & Policy (CCLP) at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. This project was made possible by a grant from Humanity United, a U.S.-based foundation dedicated to building peace and advancing human freedom. The report includes the story of a young woman from the Philippines……

Latonero speaks at AAAS conference on big data and human rights

On January 15 and 16, research director Mark Latonero spoke at the Science and Human Rights Coalition's "Big Data and Human Rights" conference in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Sessions explored how human rights can be affected by the collection and analysis of big data, the rapidly growing collections of information that can now be processed thanks to recent technological advances. "The application of big data in the human rights domain is still really in its infancy," said Latonero. "The positives and negatives are not always clear and often exist in tension……

Latonero joins Data & Society’s inaugural class of fellows

Research director Mark Latonero has been named to the inaugural class of fellows at the Data & Society Research Institute in New York. Launched this year and led by pioneering scholar danah boyd, Data & Society aims to "advance the public's understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented by a networked society." By hosting events, developing policy frameworks, and creating projects and publicly available research backed by interdisciplinary collaborations, Data & Society addresses social, ethical, legal, and policy issues affected by data-driven technology. The Institute's fellows will work on "a bunch of thorny and interesting data and society issues," writes boyd…….

Fighting modern slavery: USC Viterbi features CCLP’s Technology & Human Trafficking Initiative

"Technologies under development by USC computer scientists could help in the fight against underage sex trafficking in the United States," writes Marc Ballon in a featured story for USC Viterbi about our Technology & Human Trafficking Initiative led by research director Mark Latonero. Read the complete article at USC Viterbi. (Artwork pictured left by Peter Bollinger.) Below is an excerpt from Ballon's article: "An interdisciplinary faculty team at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and the Information Sciences Institute of USC's Viterbi School of Engineering is at the forefront of research to employ technology to combat youth sex……

Latonero explains role of big data in fight against trafficking at NYU summit co-sponsored by White House

Research director Mark Latonero gave a presentation today at The Social, Cultural, & Ethical Dimensions of "Big Data", speaking about his research at CCLP on technology and human trafficking. Hosted by The Data & Society Research Institute in partnership with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and New York University's Information Law Institute, the event brought together leaders from government, academia, and industry as part of the Obama Administration's efforts to better understand the implications of big data for privacy and public policy. Latonero discussed how networked technologies like chat rooms, online classified ads, and social……

Mark Latonero at Social Computing Symposium

Research director Mark Latonero presented at Microsoft Research's 2014 Social Computing Symposium, speaking about CCLP's research on technology and trafficking. MIT Center for Civic Media director Ethan Zuckerman featured Latonero in his write-up on the symposium…….

CCLP Researchers in Jakarta Launch Major Study on Media & the Fight Against Trafficking

The Technology & Trafficking research team spent a week in Jakarta, Indonesia, to launch a major study that assesses the potential success and effectiveness of media campaigns to raise awareness and ultimately change behavior towards human trafficking. The project is being conducted with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Institute of International Education (IIE), and MTV EXIT Foundation. The research team is co-led by CCLP research director Mark Latonero, Ph.D. and USC Annenberg Communication professor, CCLP faculty fellow Patricia Riley and Annenberg associate professor Sheila Murphy. Research associates include Communication doctoral student Prawit Thainiyom and Masters of……