Abstract
This chapter explores the current challenges and transitional needs required to regulate digital entrepreneurship within the illicit economy by examining digital entrepreneurship relating to commercial sex and trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation. As such, new innovative digital technologies are transforming serious and organised crime operations and, thus, need to also change the way the law, enforcement, and the wider criminal justice system combat crime. The chapter seeks to expose contemporary practises of digitally-facilitated commercial sex and trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation, recent developments in law and policy in the area, emerging investigative and prosecution practises within digital online environments, as well as necessary future changes to the law and enforcement.
TopIntroduction
Digital technology has had a significant impact on entrepreneurship in recent years, transforming the way that businesses are created, operated, and marketed (Almeida, Santos, & Monteiro, 2020). It has transformed entrepreneurship by increasing accessibility. As such, digital technology has made it easier for anyone to start a business, regardless of their location or resources. With the internet, it is possible to reach a global market and access a wide range of tools and resources (Allen, 2019). Moreover, digital technology has reduced barriers to entry for many businesses, making it easier for new entrepreneurs to enter markets and compete with established players (Lamine et al., 2021; Bradley et al., 2021; Tekic & Koroteev, 2019). Enhanced communication and collaboration have also been an advantage that digital tools have brought to the realm of entrepreneurship, which has made it easier for entrepreneurs to communicate and collaborate with partners, customers, and employees, regardless of their location. It is also often noted that digital technology improves efficiency and productivity, as it helps entrepreneurs streamline their operations and improve their efficiency and productivity (Hisrich & Soltanifar, 2021; Li, 2020). For example, cloud-based tools and automation can help businesses automate routine tasks and reduce the need for manual labor (Tyagi, Fernandez, Mishra, & Kumari, 2021). In addition to these operational benefits, digital technology has also improved access to capital. In this respect, digital platforms have made it easier for entrepreneurs to access capital, including through crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending (Keyhani et al., 2022; Bollaert et al., 2021). Overall, digital technology has had a transformative impact on entrepreneurship, making it easier for businesses to start, grow, and succeed in the digital age.
However, the opportunities that digital technologies have brought to lawful entrepreneurship have also created opportunities within the illicit economy. As such, digital technology has enabled the creation of online marketplaces that facilitate the buying and selling of illegal goods and services, such as drugs and stolen credit card information. These marketplaces are often hosted on the dark web, which is a part of the internet that is not accessible through standard web browsers and is therefore difficult to monitor and regulate (Liggett et al., 2020; Garcia-Teruel, 2020; Bancroft, 2020). Digital currencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, have been adopted by many people involved in the illicit economy as a means of payment due to their anonymity and the difficulty of tracing transactions (Leuprecht et al., 2022; Kethineni & Cao, 2020). Digital technology has also made it easier for individuals and organizations to engage in cybercrime, such as hacking into systems to steal sensitive information or disrupt services, as well as making it easier for criminals to launder money by transferring funds electronically and obscuring the trail of transactions (Mugarura & Ssali, 2020; Shulzhenko & Romashkin, 2020).
Digital technology has also made it easier for criminal organizations to communicate and coordinate their activities, as well as to hide their tracks. For example, the use of encrypted messaging apps and anonymous web browsing tools can make it more difficult for law enforcement to monitor and intercept the communications of criminal groups (Shekhar & Vincent, 2022; Proulx, 2022).
Overall, the proliferation of digital technology has made it easier for people to engage in illicit activities and has created new challenges for law enforcement agencies around the world.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Illicit Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship that operates within the illicit economy.
Open-Source Intelligence: Open-source intelligence (OSINT) is the collecting and analysis of data from open sources (covert and public sources) to gather actionable intelligence. OSINT is typically utilised within national security and law enforcement, as well as some corporate intelligence operations.
Commercial Sex: Activities, such as sexual intercourse, which are sold as services for remuneration.
Illicit Economy: A system of state-prohibited economic activity, such as trafficking in human beings, arms smuggling, money laundering and cybercrime.
Commercial Sex Provider: A person who offers and provides commercial sex services.
Technology-Facilitated Trafficking: Trafficking practices which are enhanced by the use of digital technology, such as the internet and devices which access the internet.
Tor Network: A network which enables users to access online materials anonymously. It is intended for TCP connections and facilitates the use of anonymous web browsers, IRC, instant messaging, P2P, SSH and email.