4 minute read
AwareNow: Issue 01: Human Trafficking
TECH LEADER TAKES ON TRAFFICKING
INTERVIEW WITH ROGER MARTIN, CEO OF MODELS AGAINST TRAFFICKING & FORMER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF IP STRATEGIST AT QUALCOMM
Going from 'tech' to 'trafficking' is quite a shift. Why did you decide to get involved in this cause?
"I learned... most trafficked kids first met their pimp online, and the most frequent place to meet was Instagram... this information hit home for me."
My background is not in the modeling or fashion industries. More than 25 years ago, I started working at a small tech company that became one of the largest in the world. As I was preparing to retire a couple of years ago, I was contacted by some non-profits that were fighting human trafficking. I learned from them that most trafficked kids first met their pimp online, and the most frequent place to meet was Instagram. Additionally, the most common approach was for the predator to pose as a photographer or modeling agent and try to persuade aspiring young teen models to send nude photos or even meet in person. I have four daughters of my own. One is a model who got her start on Instagram before she got signed to an agency, so this information hit home for me.
In my head, I pictured the predator scrolling through Instagram looking at photos and profiles of aspiring young models, searching for signs of vulnerability and deciding who they were going to approach. Based on my tech background, I realized that was the kind of problem that Artificial Intelligence (AI) would be very good at fighting. Together with some former co-workers, we developed an AI machine that could crawl through Instagram and identify young models who might be at risk of being approached by a predator. Our theory was that if we could reach out to them before the predator did, we could warn them about the common tactics the predator uses. That was the beginning of the idea for Models Against Trafficking – a way to reach young models before the predator could.
What is your vision for Models Against Trafficking?
Models Against Trafficking works well for outreach to young models because every established model has had some personal experience with strange men or women reaching out to them on Instagram. These successful models understand that the young teens following them on Instagram are putting themselves at risk simply to become successful models themselves. They understand that they are in a unique position to influence and protect their followers.
Our vision for Models Against Trafficking is that all models, whether or not yet signed with an agency, will respond to this universal problem that they all personally experience. We believe that they are the most powerful force against traffickers online. Their voice reaches farther than the trafficker. Their style is more influential than the trafficker. They can help make their followers safer by being the face of the Models Against Trafficking movement. By joining together, they take away the predator’s ability to pick off the unaware or the young.
How can people support your organization?
The best way to support Models Against Trafficking is simply to follow @modelsagainsttrafficking on Instagram, and then tag us in their posts and stories with content that makes their followers aware of how traffickers use Instagram to lure young teens. For example, we encourage them to tag us in a post where they tell their own story about a shady DM they received. They can share and tag us in any of the content they see our other influencers posting, or even make something new in their own unique style. We have a Brand Book that they can use for ideas. And of course they can make a donation in any amount at our website. 100% of the proceeds go to fighting human trafficking!
MODELS AGAINST TRAFFICKING
Models Against Trafficking is an initiative powered by Humans Against Trafficking, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Working with our partner companies and non-profits, our mission is to reach and educate through the development of technology platforms and large-scale social movements that make it easier for all people to get involved in human trafficking prevention.
As stated on our website, “Traffickers use tech to hurt children. Most exploited kids first met their trafficker online. Traffickers prey on large numbers of vulnerable kids on social media by exploiting their desire for connection, success and "likes". The reach and ease of connection of social media allows traffickers to continuously search for and recruit multiple different victims at once online. The most common apps used by traffickers and their victims are Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.”
But “we use tech to protect children. Online education specifically focused on at-risk kids using social media is key to preventing their victimization. Using AI and image recognition technologies, backed by research-based understanding of traffickers and victims, we can identify at-risk kids on social media faster and at much larger scale than traffickers. By finding at-risk kids before the traffickers do, we can help educate and inoculate them against the trafficker's recruitment tactics.”
Support Models Against Trafficking and learn more at www.modelsagainsttrafficking.com.
