Over the past few years, the agenda-topping issue of human trafficking is increasingly bracketed with the use of digital technologies. Though the trafficking-technology nexus is a growing area of public and policy concern, as far as empirical research is concerned, the subject is still a relatively open field. As a result, quite a few unknowns regarding the interaction between technological developments and trafficking in persons remain unresolved. In this context, the present research paper principally aims to build on the existent body of literature in order to broaden our comprehension of the matter at hand. Based on a systematic literature review and interviews with convicted offenders as well as anti-trafficking practitioners in Belgium, this paper presents an overview of the various ways in which technology can be leveraged both in the perpetration and the counteraction of human trafficking activities. In addition, the question of how technology relates to the traditional workings of trafficking is considered from a cyber-criminological point of view. That is, a connection is drawn between the use of technological tools by human traffickers and our current understanding of the business of trafficking in persons.

中文翻译：

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贩运与技术：探索数字通信技术在比利时人口贩运业务中的作用

在过去几年中，人口贩运这一议程上的首要问题越来越多地与数字技术的使用联系在一起。尽管人口贩运与技术的关系是一个日益受到公共和政策关注的领域，但就实证研究而言，该主题仍然是一个相对开放的领域。因此，关于技术发展与人口贩运之间相互作用的许多未知因素仍未解决。在这种情况下，本研究论文主要旨在建立在现有文献的基础上，以拓宽我们对手头问题的理解。根据对比利时被定罪的罪犯和反人口贩运从业人员的系统文献回顾和访谈，本文概述了在实施和打击人口贩运活动中可以利用技术的各种方式。此外，从网络犯罪学的角度考虑技术如何与传统的贩运活动联系起来的问题。也就是说，人贩子对技术工具的使用与我们目前对人口贩运业务的理解之间存在联系。