Apprise: inclusive innovation for enhancing the agency of vulnerable populations in the context of anti-trafficking responses

This paper examines the design, development and implementation of an anti-trafficking intervention in Thailand, focusing on its context, supportive mechanisms, and outcomes. It reflects on a three-year engagement with government, NGOs and vulnerable workers to determine if there was a role for technology to support the initial screening phase of labour inspections. As part of this engagement we developed Apprise, a mobile app to enable proactive and robust screening of vulnerable populations for indications of labour exploitation and forced labour. The paper analyses the value sensitive and inclusive innovation process we undertook, aimed at empowering workers by enhancing their freedom to live the lives they have reason to value. We argue that, through prolonged engagements and higher levels of inclusive innovation, it is possible to uncover more of stakeholders’ underlying motivations and tensions for using digital technology. We also draw from amplification theory that posits that digital technology serves an amplifier of institutional and human intent and capacity. We argue that even with the most carefully designed systems, users will (mis)use technology to serve their original purposes. We discuss critical implications on the human welfare and privacy of vulnerable workers in the use of digital tools such as Apprise.