Answers
Frequently asked questions
Modern slavery, human trafficking, and how SlaveryMap documents it. New to the subject? Start here, then explore the cases.
What is modern slavery?
Modern-day slavery is an umbrella term for situations where a person is controlled, coerced, or deceived into work or servitude they did not choose and cannot freely leave. It covers human trafficking, forced labor, debt bondage, domestic servitude, forced marriage, and the exploitation of children, including forced recruitment into armed groups.
How many people are in modern slavery today?
Modern-day slavery affects an estimated 50 million people worldwide on any given day. The figure comes from Global Estimates of Modern Slavery: Forced Labour and Forced Marriage, published jointly by the International Labour Organization, Walk Free, and the International Organization for Migration in September 2022: 27.6 million people in forced labor, 22 million in forced marriage.
What types of modern slavery does SlaveryMap track?
Twelve: Sex Trafficking, Forced Labor, Bonded Labor / Debt Bondage, Domestic Servitude, Forced Marriage, CSEC (Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children), Child Labor, Child Soldiers and Forced Recruitment, Ecocide-Linked Slavery, Organ Trafficking, State-Imposed Forced Labor, and Forced Criminality.
Does modern slavery happen in the US and other wealthy countries?
Yes. It happens in every country, across every industry, hidden in supply chains, informal labor markets, private homes, fishing vessels, construction sites, and agricultural fields. It isn't concentrated in any one region, though it's most severe where poverty, conflict, and weak governance let it operate without consequence, and that includes the United States, across both labor and sex trafficking.
Where does SlaveryMap's data come from, and how are cases verified?
Cases are submitted by signed-in community members, drawn from credible news outlets, law enforcement records and press releases, court records, and reports from established NGOs. Before a case publishes, two other signed-in community members independently review it: they can confirm it, suggest an edit, or revert a change. Not For Sale sets the source standard and builds the platform. It doesn't sit between a submission and publication as a gatekeeper, the community does that. Not For Sale retains one override: it can remove any published case it determines poses a risk.
Why aren't locations exact? How does SlaveryMap protect survivors' safety?
Precise locations are never published. Every point on the map is deliberately generalized, to city level by default, not a street corner, not a named business or venue.
Does SlaveryMap ever show a more specific location?
Only when Not For Sale itself enters the case and determines it's safe to be specific, typically a fully resolved historical case where naming the location poses no current risk. Not For Sale's own founding story is the example: the Berkeley restaurant where co-founder David Batstone discovered trafficking, Pasand, closed years ago, which is why it's safe to name today. A community submission doesn't carry that same exception.
Can the public submit cases to SlaveryMap?
Not yet, soon. Submission will require signing in with a Not For Sale ID, and every submitted case will go through review by two other signed-in community members before it publishes. Check back in the coming months.
Can researchers and journalists cite SlaveryMap data? Are there attribution or licensing terms?
Yes. SlaveryMap data may be cited, screenshotted, or embedded for editorial, research, or educational use, with attribution naming SlaveryMap, a link back to the specific case or view, and the date accessed. An embeddable live map with region, case-type, and view filters is available for direct use on other sites. Bulk data access requires a request through Not For Sale's contact form.
What are the warning signs of trafficking, and what should I do if I suspect it?
Common signs: someone doesn't hold their own identification or travel documents, isn't allowed to speak for themselves in conversation, shows signs of fear, exhaustion, or untreated injury, or appears to be living at the same place they work with no freedom to come and go. Don't attempt to intervene directly. For the US: the National Human Trafficking Hotline, 1-888-373-7888, text 233733, chat at humantraffickinghotline.org, available 24/7 in over 200 languages.