Sensational, sexualised imagery is often held up as the greatest sin of anti-trafficking awareness campaigns, but bad data masquerading as authoritative fact is far more insidious.
This debate has failed to engage with the enduring structure of racial slavery. As representations of African migrants in the Mediterranean illustrate, anti-trafficking campaigns feed into the problem they aim to dismantle.
There is no evidence that public awareness campaigns help victims of human trafficking. Instead of continuing to waste funds on public service announcements we need to prioritise direct assistance.
Anti-trafficking awareness campaigns share many features with fake news and alternative facts. While the latter are derided, campaigns continue to be widely celebrated despite their serious flaws.
Public awareness campaigns targeting human trafficking can be messy and imperfect, but we also see positive examples grounded in respect and lived experiences rather than in rescue attempts by self-appointed saviours.
Anti-trafficking campaigns are more concerned with generating clicks than with taking effective action against exploitation. Awareness campaigns must be grounded in the lived experiences and perspectives of their target audience.
