Comment: New legal weapons needed to combat human trafficking | Comment

It is good news that a three-county Charleston area task force has been launched to help victims of human trafficking in South Carolina. As important as stopping drug traffickers, it is equally imperative to help victims recover their lives. They must not only have safe housing, professional training and employment opportunities, but they also need the psychological support that comes with being seen, heard and personally valued.

But make no mistake: the battle against human trafficking in the United States and around the world is endless. According to the International Labor Organization, 25 million people are being trafficked and profits can reach $ 150 billion annually.

Women and girls represent well over half of the victims – 71% is the current estimate. Among women identified as victims, 79% were trafficked specifically for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

There is certainly no one in the general public or in the political world who does not want human trafficking to be eliminated. This has been the goal of Congress, which passed the Law on Protection of Victims of Trafficking in 2000 and updated it five times in the past 17 years. But now the law needs to be updated again to keep up with the radical changes in technology and communications.

The Communications Decency Act also needs to be rewritten so that digital platforms no longer have immunity, no matter what they publish, a situation that encouraged Big Tech to look at the other side of predatory material on its websites. And Congress must move forward in what is called the EARN IT Act, which will allow survivors and state attorney generals to sue technology companies for facilitating child sexual abuse materials.

We need these changes because technology is now the main tool that traffickers use to attract young people. The online exploitation of vulnerable children has been especially acute because the pandemic restrictions have left many isolated, frustrated and confused. Internet advertising, social media, chat rooms – they are all part of the problem and Washington must respond.

Until recently, it seemed impossible to expect action from a divided and paralyzed Congress. But there are reasons for optimism now. President Joe Biden has a deep understanding of the ills of human trafficking in his decades of service in the Senate and there is bipartisan support for action. So while there may be disagreements about the precise measures to be taken – some advocates want more attention to abuses of forced labor, others to sexual exploitation – enough common ground can be found to reach an effective agreement.

It is encouraging that Senate leaders to update and strengthen the TVPA are Rob Portman, of Ohio, a Republican, and Richard Blumenthal, of Connecticut, a Democrat. A respected bipartisan team like this gives me hope for success.

Janet Jensen is the founder of Projeto Jensen, a non-profit organization focused on strengthening partnerships to combat sexual violence.