What is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day and Why Does It Matter?

January 11 marks National Human Trafficking Awareness Day in the United States, a critical moment to spotlight the pervasive issue of human trafficking and recommit to combating this global crisis that disproportionately affects women and girls. This includes the rise of tech-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse, a rapidly growing aspect of sexual exploitation. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 60% of girls and 66% of women who are trafficked are trafficked for sexual exploitation. This problem demands urgent attention, robust action, and collective effort.

What Does Tech-Facilitated Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Have to Do with Trafficking?

Tech-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse (TFSEA), which encompasses a number of sexually exploitative and harmful behaviors that occur online or are facilitated through the use of technological devices–including online grooming, livestreaming of sexual abuse, child sexual abuse material (CSAM), online sexual coercion and extortion, tech-facilitated sex trafficking, and image-based sexual abuse–is growing at an alarming pace globally. According to the U.S. Department of State in its recognition of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, “the digital realm has increasingly become a key battleground in this fight.” Traffickers leverage the internet to recruit, exploit, and control their victims, often under the guise of anonymity provided by online platforms. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable, representing “77% of detected victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation globally,” as highlighted in the UNODC 2024 Global Trafficking in Persons Report.

The rise of online platforms has revolutionized how traffickers operate. From social media to encrypted messaging apps, the digital age has provided tools for exploitation on an unprecedented scale. Predators target individuals through online grooming, coercing them into exploitative situations. Victims—often from marginalized backgrounds—may feel trapped by shame, threats, or a lack of resources to seek help. The UNODC Report identifies how “advancements in technology have made it easier for traffickers to maintain control while remaining undetected,” compounding the challenges faced by law enforcement and advocacy groups.

What Law Changes or Bills Were Under Consideration in 2024?

In 2024, legislative efforts focused on enhancing protections against trafficking, particularly through the lens of online exploitation. A number of key bills were under consideration, one was signed into law, and several others came close to being passed:

S. 474: The REPORT Act, signed into law on May 7th, 2024, extends mandatory data retention requirements for CSAM to assist investigations and broadens reporting requirements for online platforms, which grants law enforcement more time to access evidence.

S.412: The “Eradicating Sex Trafficking Online Act” or SHIELD Act aimed to impose stricter regulations on tech companies, ensuring they take proactive measures to prevent trafficking on their platforms.

S.1207: The EARN It Act focused on providing additional resources and protections for survivors, including access to legal aid and mental health services.

S.1199:The Stop CSAM Act introduced measures to enhance international cooperation in tracking and dismantling trafficking networks.

H.R.2661: The Project Safe Childhood Modernization Act emphasized education and prevention programs, targeting vulnerable communities to reduce their risk of exploitation.

S.1409: The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) was aimed at improving data collection and sharing between federal agencies to better identify and respond to trafficking trends.

S.3696: The DEFIANCE Act sought to hold companies accountable for failing to remove explicit and exploitative content swiftly.

S.4569: The TAKE IT DOWN Act proposed incentives for tech companies that implement innovative solutions to combat trafficking online.

These bills collectively represent a growing recognition of the need for systemic and coordinated change to address the intersection of trafficking and technology. Although the 2024 legislative session ended with just The REPORT Act being signed into law, four of the other bills made it through the Senate, enjoying broad bipartisan support, and we expect many of them to be reintroduced in 2025.

What is Equality Now Doing About the Problem?

From leading a coalition in 2001 to pass the Palermo Protocol to helping shape the CEDAW Committee’s General Recommendation (38) on trafficking in women and girls, Equality Now has long worked to combat sex trafficking and sexual exploitation globally and in the United States. Today, our work in the US takes a multifaceted approach:

Advancing legislative change: We support concrete legislative initiatives, working with coalitions, government agencies, and other stakeholders to push for survivor-informed laws and policies. For example, in December 2024, we participated in a government listening session in Washington, D.C., where over 60 survivors and advocates shared their experiences and recommendations on combating online image-based sexual abuse with representatives from more than 12 government agencies.

Holding the US government to account: Through submissions to global and regional bodies, such as to the United Nations Human Rights Committee in 2023, we push the US government to prioritize policies that address trafficking and exploitation in the digital realm.

Amplifying survivor and expert voices: Survivor insights are central to our work. Any approach to combating TFSEA must be victim-centered and incorporate survivors’ lived experiences and recommendations. We engage with a range of expert stakeholders and highlight the impact of technology on these problems through participation in the Alliance for Universal Digital Rights (AUDRi).

Tackling technology’s role in global reports: Our research underscores how technology is exploited by traffickers and abusers. For example, our briefing paper on doxing highlights how online harassment silences and controls victims, leaving them vulnerable to further exploitation. Similarly, our research into deepfake technology reveals the alarming use of manipulated images to blackmail and coerce individuals. Finally, our report on sexual violence in virtual spaces outlines new challenges posed by the emergence of the metaverse.

Global Advocacy: At every opportunity, we raise and push for prioritization of these issues at the global and regional level, including through leading and participating in the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), and the General Assembly (UNGA).

Through these efforts, Equality Now remains committed to addressing TFSEA with survivor-centered and human-rights-informed solutions.

A Call to Action

On this National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, we urge policymakers, businesses, and individuals to take decisive action against tech-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse. The digital age has created new challenges, but it also provides tools for advocacy, education, and intervention. Together, we can protect vulnerable populations, hold perpetrators accountable, and work toward a world free from exploitation.

This fight is intrinsically linked to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 5 on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. As we approach Beijing + 30 and the upcoming CSW, it is more urgent than ever that we recommit to the promises made in the Beijing Platform for Action to address all forms of violence against women and girls, including TFSEA.

By amplifying survivor voices and advocating for systemic change, we can honor the mission of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day and ensure that no one is left behind in the fight for justice and equality.

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