Use Case Insights: Improved Monitoring of Human Trafficking by Sharing Insights

The following article is a prime example of several Security Delta (HSD) partners collaborating on important use cases. Partners Roseman Labs, TNO and the Sustainable Rescue Foundation worked together with the Data Sharing Coalition to improve monitoring of human trafficking by sharing insights. Brought together partly by the working group Security, Peace and Justice of the Dutch AI Coalition, these actors are making a contribution to a safer society, entirely in line with the mission statement of the Knowledge and Innovation Agenda Security (Kennis- en Innovatie Agenda Veiligheid) that Security Delta is aiming to fulfill. One of the core activities of the Data Sharing Coalition is to realise data sharing use cases. Organisations from different domains collaboratively define and realise use cases that create new value by sharing data. Besides new value creation, use cases provide real-life insights into necessary requirements to achieve interoperability between different organisations, domains and/or data sharing initiatives.

In the recurring blog section ‘use case insights’, one can learn more about data sharing use cases from participants and organisations outside the Data Sharing Coalition. In this article Paul Fockens, co-founder of the Sustainable Rescue Foundation, provides answers to the most important questions regarding the use case. 

1. Can you introduce your organisation and use case?

"The Sustainable Rescue Foundation is committed to helping organisations disrupt the human trafficking exploitation model by integrating existing business best practices, digital technology, academic concepts and legislation to facilitate collaboration. We accomplish this through active listening and participation within the human trafficking stakeholder ecosystem; continuous and multi-faceted networking that includes interest groups, academia, public, private and civil sectors and the innovation arena."

2. Can you explain the current use case status?

"The Sustainable Rescue Foundation is building an ecosystem to fight human trafficking. This ecosystem allows participants from both the law enforcement side as well as participants from the victim care side to exchange sensitive information about the type and size of trafficking in the Netherlands. This data is examined to gain a deeper understanding of the Modus Operandi (MO) of the traffickers, which enables us to enrich available information with new data driven insights thus allowing for earlier prevention and intervention."

The Data Sharing Coalition has been involved since the start and has made a financial contribution. TNO and Data Sharing Coalition participants Roseman Labs (MPC) and Pinsent Masons (legal implications) have also been involved.

3. What challenges did you face when developing the use case?

"There may be many reasons not to share information and /or data, but the main challenge is a lack of trust. Once the participants in a trust framework understand how advanced technology is actually helping to build trust, the initial mistrust is replaced and allows for much deeper cooperation. This cooperation provides a whole different view of the total human trafficking landscape: organisations no longer have tunnel vision to protect their information. They see the wealth of insight that is created by sharing information (e.g. Multi-Party Computation, or MPC, which allows an analysis of various data files without sharing the data). In addition, another challenge was the newness of cryptographic technology. We had to gain the trust of the participants that MPC does what it promises to do. To enhance confidence amongst involved parties in this technology, workshops were organised."

4. Which best practices/lessons learned would you like to share?

"A lesson learned is to double the estimated time to execute the use case. Both for individuals as well as for their organisations, it requires a paradigm shift to start cross sectoral data sharing. Furthermore, allow time to make participants aware of the end goal and which steps need to be taken to get to that goal. Workshops are a very good means to this end. And lastly, build a script such as a protocol with step-by-step instructions as well as describing the impact of every step. Make it as transparent as possible and demonstrate the legal, technical and organisational impact. Essential is the involvement of legal counsel, with a focus on the Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA) ruling to ensure that every step of the protocol you created is allowed."

5. What type of use case support or expertise do/did you receive from the Data Sharing Coalition? How can the Data Sharing Coalition be of assistance in the future?

"The Data Sharing Coalition was essential in the success of this use case. By using the Data Sharing Canvas of the Data Sharing Coalition, lessons from other projects could be incorporated. The support in terms of program management, the development of the future phases after the initial Proof of Concept and the insight in governance were most important. Furthermore, the Data Sharing Coalition was able to fund a part of the project, which meant some use of commercial software was possible. The Data Sharing Coalition is continuing its support in the next phase of the project in which we are focusing on the value creation for all participants."

Do you want to know more about the use cases within the Data Sharing Coaliton? Click here.