A new investigation in the Czech Republic has revealed a modern form of human trafficking under the guise of OnlyFans management, with young girls lured to the adult entertainment platform by middlemen who later exploit their image – with AI creating deepfakes of the victims.
The phenomenon is the latest example of the need for EU institutions and national authorities to adapt their monitoring and preventive measures to the digital era.
Human trafficking is eased “by modern technology and AI, increasing the risk and the outreach, facilitating recruitment and exploitation,” EU Commission anti-trafficking coordinator Diane Schmitt told MEPs during an event in Brussels on Wednesday (3 June).
Schmitt revealed that the number of trafficking victims in the EU increased by 40 percent in 2022, with around 10,000 victims per year — although many more remain undetected.
Echoing similar concerns, Petya Nestorova from the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, detailed how the digitalisation of exploitation expands the pool of possible victims, with “younger and younger victims, 12 or 13 year olds, recruited over Snapchat or other social platforms”.
