- First step is building a comprehensive description of the threat in the “real world”. This is achieved through:
- Extensive consultations with end-users to understand the modus operandi (e.g. countries of origin, countries of transit and destination; use of smuggling networks; means of transport).
- Extensive literature review
- The digital footprint of threats varies considerably (e.g. human smuggling and the commercialisation of false documents has a very strong footprint in social media, while arms trafficking is much less common); the same threat can have a strong digital footprint in certain areas than in others (e.g. human smugglers marketing services on the Central Mediterranean route employ public social media much more extensively than human smugglers active on the Eastern European route)
- When it comes to a complex threat, such as human smuggling one must first understand who are the different types of stakeholders who can provide relevant information on this subject and what purpose do they use social media. For example, social media is used:
- By human smuggling networks to: (a) advertise their services; (b) provide information to people on the move.
- By people on the move/seeking to leave country of origin to seek information on: (a) best route; (b) contacts of smugglers; (c) price; (d) duration; (e) equipment required.
- By families of people on the move to seek information about their loved ones with whom they lost contact.
- Once the description of the threat has been completed, a basic information collection plan can be built. The plan should include the following:
- Language of service providers (human smugglers) and clients.
- Region (route) of interest.
- List of social media platforms (e.g. Facebook, YouTube, Telegram, TikTok) used for this particular threat in the particular region/route by this particular language group.
- Text and visual lexicon to identity relevant accounts and content.
- The information collection plan must be constantly reviewed and updated as the platforms and lexicon in the field of cross-border crimes change constantly often in response to policy decisions and law enforcement investigations.
