This paper analyses relations between human trafficking, modern slavery, and information communication technology. It looks at the history of the technology-trafficking nexus and flags some key advances in the counter-trafficking discourse in the last two decades. It provides an overview of how technology has been framed as both a part of the problem and part of the solution in the trafficking/slavery context and emphasises the impact of such developments on a range of actors, in particular, potential victims, NGOs, and the nation state. We suggest that the technology-slavery/trafficking connections, while often elusive, act as potent narrative and policy setters that can advance existing challenges and create new points of tension in the counter-trafficking context. We critically analyse these points of tension and destabilise some of their underpinning assumptions. In the conclusion, we highlight the need for rigorous empirical evidence, arguing that a more robust scholarly engagement with the role of technology in enabling and disrupting exploitation is essential. We also point to the importance of ensuring that technology is not a distraction from addressing the root causes of exploitation and abuse.

中文翻译：

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一次释放一次解放的现代奴隶：理论上的人口贩运，现代奴隶制和技术

本文分析了人口贩运，现代奴隶制和信息通信技术之间的关系。它回顾了技术贩运关系的历史，并标志了过去二十年来反贩运话语中的一些关键进展。它概述了在贩运/奴隶制背景下技术是如何构成问题的一部分和解决方案的一部分，并强调了这种发展对一系列行为者的影响，特别是潜在的受害者，非政府组织和民族国家。我们建议，技术-奴役/人口贩运之间的联系虽然常常难以捉摸，但它们可以作为有力的叙述和政策制定者，在面对人口贩运的情况下，可以推进现有挑战并创造新的紧张点。我们批判性地分析了这些紧张点，并破坏了它们的一些基础假设。在结论中，我们强调需要严格的经验证据，认为在技术上促进和破坏开发的作用与学术界进行更强有力的互动至关重要。我们还指出，确保技术不会分散注意力以解决剥削和滥用的根源的重要性。