Secretary of State Antony Blinken focused on human trafficking using digital tools in a yearly report the department released on Monday.
“Digital tools have amplified the reach, scale, and speed of trafficking,” Blinken wrote in the 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report. “They use online platforms to sell illicit sexual content. They leverage encrypted messaging and digital currencies to evade detection.”
“Trafficking is the very definition of a problem that no one nation can solve alone,” Blinken said.
The International Labour Organization estimated in 2021 27.6 million people were in forced labor, an increase of 2.7 million from 2016. Of those 27.6 million, the ILO estimated 6.3 million were in forced commercial sexual exploitation and 3.9 million in forced labor imposed by a state.
“Unfortunately, some governments are part of the problem,” said Ambassador at-Large Cindy Dyer.
Blinken said the use of online tools has made it possible for traffickers to expand their reach.
