Memex Human Trafficking


MEMEX is a DARPA program that explores how next generation search and extraction systems can help with real-world use cases. The initial application is the fight against human trafficking. In this application, the input is a portion of the public and dark web in which human traffickers are likely to (surreptitiously) post supply and demand information about illegal labor, sex workers, and more. DeepDive processes such documents to extract evidential data, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, job types, job requirements, information about rates of service, etc. Some of these data items are difficult for trained human annotators to accurately extract and have never been previously available, but DeepDive-based systems have high accuracy (Precision and Recall in the 90s, which may exceed non-experts). Together with provenance information, such structured, evidential data are then passed on to both other collaborators on the MEMEX program as well as law enforcement for analysis and consumption in operational applications. MEMEX has been featured extensively in the media and is supporting actual investigations. For example, every human trafficking investigation pursued by the Human Trafficking Response Unity in New York City involves MEMEX. DeepDive is the main extracted data provider for MEMEX. See also, 60 minutes, Scientific American, Wall St. Journal, BBC, and Wired. It is supporting actual investigations and perhaps new usecases in the war on terror.

Here is a detailed description of DeepDive’s role in MEMEX.”