In today’s far-reaching global supply chains, it is difficult to know who is actually involved in producing or providing the goods and services that are an integral part of modern life. Here lies a problem. Although we all like to assume that participants do the work by choice, this is not always the case. Unfortunately, there are still processes in which people are forced to work against their will. And it’s not just limited to the most remote corners of our planet. Some of this is happening under our noses.
Understanding where and why this occurs is key to combating this human suffering. That’s why organizations like Dark Watch exist. Dark Watch is a data company working to combat human trafficking by using digital intelligence to detect and track criminal organizations that exploit victims through force, fraud, and coercion. Its mission is to help companies identify risks in their supply chains.
Dark Watch was founded in 2024 by Noel Thomas, who serves as the company’s CEO. In this role, he leads the development of robust platforms to help supply chain professionals, law enforcement, financial institutions, and the hospitality industry detect trafficking patterns, track illicit financial flows, and take informed and proactive action. These tools are changing how professionals on the front lines identify, investigate, and respond to organized exploitation.
Prior to founding Dark Watch, Thomas served as Florida’s statewide anti-human trafficking coordinator, where he successfully united law enforcement agencies, NGOs, and government offices to expose trafficking networks and strengthen survivor support systems. His early work with missionary groups Operation Mobilization and Youth with a Mission (YWAM) gave him first-hand insight into the international scope of human trafficking and the urgent need for scalable, technology-enabled solutions.
Thomas recently spoke with Dave Maloney, DC speed’The group’s managing editor, on how he got into this field, the prevalence of the problem of forced labor, and what we can all do to combat the practice.
Q: First off, can you tell me about the Dark Watch and what it does?
A: definitely. We are an artificial intelligence company that constantly looks for trends related to human trafficking, crime, and terrorism. We provide solutions to **ital{Fortune} 500 companies to help them identify the risks they may face.
Q: It’s a somewhat unusual profession. How did you get started in the field of human trafficking monitoring?
A: I often say that this passion started when I was a child. Years ago, our family was wandering around an indoor market when my father became distracted by this lady. When he looked down, he saw that my four-year-old sister was gone. So he trusted his intuition, ran towards the exit of the building, and saw a man we did not know coming out of the door with my sister. Fortunately, my father retrieved it at the last minute, and the man escaped.
But it left an impression on me. From there, I traveled the world playing in a rock and roll band and was exposed to human trafficking. I later went to India, where I saw a 14-year-old girl being trafficked right above the police station. In that moment, I knew my life was going to change. I became a statewide anti-human trafficking coordinator in Florida, which really opened my eyes to the scope of the problem. I realized there was an opportunity to provide data and intelligence to support anti-modern slavery efforts.
Q: That’s quite a story. How widespread is the problem around the world?
A: It’s a growing problem right now. There are approximately 50 million people enslaved worldwide. Some estimates suggest it’s a $250 billion-a-year industry, ranging from sex trafficking to labor trafficking to organ trafficking. What many people don’t realize is that modern slavery exists in many different industries, including agriculture, hospitality and transport. In fact, modern slavery touches 30 different industries directly, and even more industries indirectly.
What most people also don’t realize is that this is not just an external problem; It’s happening here in the United States. It’s right here in our backyards.
Q: We live in the digital age, where information is readily available and easily accessible. How can people be already enslaved and those around them not realize it?
A: A good example of this is the illicit massage industry that exists here in the United States. Often, these women are promised better jobs in the United States and believe they will work in hospitality or the medical field, only to find that they have fallen into the trap of the commercial sex trade. [The enslavers] Their passports will be confiscated, and if they do not speak the language, they will not have any freedom of movement. This is just one example of human trafficking happening in our own backyards.
At Dark Watch, we have a mapping product that shows exactly where these 17,000 or so illegal activities are taking place. It’s not just sex trafficking; There is also labor trafficking, especially in agriculture, but also in some industries that you might not expect.
Question: We often hear about trafficking in manufacturing operations abroad, in so-called sweat shops. Does this also happen within manufacturing facilities here in the US?
A: It’s hard to know. There was a famous case involving a meat packing operation where there was child slavery. But I think it’s not known in the United States.
Q: As you noted, slavery and human trafficking can exist in our supply chains without us even knowing it. Where are our supply chains most at risk?
A: There is a movement to add transparency to supply chains, because oftentimes, manufacturers themselves are not aware of what is going on within the chain, perhaps along the way. [the harvesting of cotton or the mining of] Rare earth minerals that are included in its products. It can also be in those middle layers of the supply chain. The key point is that whether it is textiles, electronics or batteries, we all have to do our part to get as much transparency into the supply chain as possible to identify where the risks of modern slavery may exist.
Question: How do you respond to someone who argues that he has little control over business practices in far-flung parts of the world — and that it’s not his job to monitor those processes or tell his suppliers what to do?
A: This is a great question. In certain parts of the world, regulation and oversight have increased. Canada, for example, has taken steps aimed at increasing supply chain transparency. We have some regulations that have come into effect over the last couple of years that call for deeper transparency within supply chains.
I think one of the big reasons they care about this is because there’s a huge risk to companies. In recent years, some major brands have made headlines due to allegations of labor trafficking abuses within their supply chains. The risks to headline and reputation are real, but they are also the right thing to do.
We can all do our part to help end modern slavery. We can look more closely at supplier relationships, for example. There are a lot of tools available, and Dark Watch is one of them, that can help organizations take a deeper look inside their supply chains.
Question: Almost all global supply chains appear to carry some risk of human rights violations, but are there particular industries or countries worthy of greater scrutiny?
A: We see a lot of forced labor in Southeast Asia, especially in manufacturing operations. When I spent some time in India, I saw this firsthand in the textile and apparel trade.
But the problem is not limited to the clothing trade. Forced labor is also involved in the production of parts that go into the electronics industry. This extends all the way to rare earth minerals, such as lithium and cobalt, which are essential to the manufacture of our electronic devices, and which are often mined by slaves.
So when we start looking at our products and pulling them back to their base in the supply chain, there is a high probability of modern-day slavery occurring. We have seen a lot of examples of this in the food and beverage sector, such as with chocolate, where children have been used to harvest cocoa beans.
Q: Your company, Dark Watch, provides a way to monitor whether or not slave workers are involved in the production of goods. What should supply chain professionals do if they discover the use of forced labor within their supply chains?
A: Depending on the region of the world, they must work with local regulatory bodies to provide the necessary information for audits and create more transparency. I believe that buyers and consumers of products are becoming more aware of the problem and are beginning to demand that their electronic devices and other goods and services be ethically sourced. For businesses, a good starting point is to take a public stance against human trafficking. You then have to commit to combating this practice and follow through on that commitment by requiring ethical hiring behavior on the part of your suppliers.
Question: I imagine the truth could be one way to overcome slave labor and human trafficking. How can we help spread the word and let people know what is ethical behavior and what is unethical behavior within supply chains?
A: This is a really great question because we all have the ability to have these conversations – in our workplaces with our co-workers and also with our families and members of our communities. Hence we need a top-down approach from executives to communicate this to their employees.
There is a lot of information geared towards manufacturing and suppliers. One source is the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report. This is a great place to start spreading awareness. Another source is Polaris [an organization that fights human trafficking]. Polaris has done amazing research when it comes to labor trafficking in supply chains and offers a wealth of information. Providing these resources and reports annually to your employees and key stakeholders is important as we educate others about the realities of modern-day slavery.
Each of us can play a role in the fight against slavery. For me, I started out in rock ‘n’ roll, and I never thought I’d end up at an AI and data company that helps fight modern-day slavery. But we can all really make a difference. It starts with having conversations in our workplace, in our community, and in our businesses.
