Online Human Sex Trafficking : The Accountability of the EU and Meta

Sammanfattning

The globalisation of the internet has led to unprecedented consequences which the general public, government bodies and Big-Tech companies are failing to adequately address and prevent. This thesis will explore the failings in the context of online human sex trafficking, a global human rights issue which is affecting all ages and genders. Specifically, it will the explore the roles of both the European Union (EU) and Meta in relation to their responsibilities, accountability, and current contributions to the prevention of online sex trafficking. This will be done through the theory of Cyber Routine Activity Theory (CRAT), where the EU and Meta will be explored as ‘the capable guardian’. The deductions and interpretations made will be conducted through a socio-legal analysis, bridging the gap between how legislation like the Digital Service Act (DSA) is intended to assist in prevention, versus how it actually is utilised in our real, social lives. This study adds to the field of online sex trafficking prevention by focusing on the unique position of the EU and Meta, rather than having a victim centred approach.