
Amazon and Microsoft employees caught up in sex trafficking sting - LopRabbit
https://www.engadget.com/2017/12/25/amazon-microsoft-employees-sex-trafficking-sting/
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larrymcp
For balance, it's worth pointing out that many law-enforcement agencies now
use the term "sex trafficking" to describe cases that are merely prostitution.
This case appears to be no exception. Further reading about this case by
Elizabeth Nolan Brown in Reason Magazine:

[http://reason.com/archives/2016/09/09/the-truth-about-us-
sex...](http://reason.com/archives/2016/09/09/the-truth-about-us-sex-
trafficking)

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sp332
This article specifically refers to trafficked women. The linked Newsweek
article says: "One of the pimps netted in a review board sting in 2015
admitted that many of the women were in debt bondage, and in fear for their
lives or the safety of their families."

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yters
So most prostitution is sex trafficking, it seems.

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sp332
Well that's the problem - "sex trafficking" literally means selling sex, which
covers all prostitution. But it has also been used as a short form of "human
trafficking of sex slaves" which is a lot more specific.

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wils1245
This story is a good example of how the tide of public opinion has turned
against the tech industry. There’s no tech angle here - some percentage of
people pay for sex, and some percentage of that group uses their work email to
do so. Some of those work in tech.

These facts tell us precisely nothing about whether tech workers are more or
less likely to pay for sex or engage in illegal behavior, or whether it’s a
particularly bad problem at Microsoft or Amazon.

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DougN7
Was thinking the same thing. What about (rampant!) misdeeds from manufacturing
company email addresses!

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vfulco
Per the usual, article conflates standard sex services with sex trafficking.
See the Amnesty International position for a more reasonable and balanced
position. Maybe it is time for legalized sex work. Or would that threaten too
many womens' bargaining chip?

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Guyag
> Or would that threaten too many womens' bargaining chip?

Can you clarify what you mean by this please?

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sp332
This article is just a link to Newsweek [http://www.newsweek.com/metoo-
microsoft-amazon-trafficking-p...](http://www.newsweek.com/metoo-microsoft-
amazon-trafficking-prostitution-sex-silicon-valley-755611) which goes into a
lot more detail, but unfortunately also has auto-playing video.

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mLuby
Would be interested to see these employees' job titles.

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ohstopitu
The newsweek article claims 2 of them were directors.

I can see how Directors can afford to spend 30k - 50k a year for sex

