ECS Research in Action series: Social Media's Antiquities Black Market

Welcome to our new ASOR Early Career Scholar virtual series, "Research in Action", featuring impactful scholarship relating to the ancient world.

Our first event takes place on Friday, April 22nd, 12:00-1:00 pm ET and features the research of Katie A. Paul and the ATHAR Project.

Katie A. Paul is the director of the Tech Transparency Project (TTP), where she specializes in tracking extremism, disinformation, and criminal activity on online platforms such as Facebook. She also serves as co-director and co-founder of the Antiquities Trafficking and Heritage Anthropology Research (ATHAR) Project and a founding member of the Alliance to Counter Crime Online (ACCO). She holds a bachelor’s degree from Miami University (OH) with a double major in Anthropology and Ancient Greek and earned an M.A. in Anthropology at The George Washington University.

Social Media's Antiquities Black Market: Tracking a New Generation of Traffickers

From the invasion in Ukraine, to conflict in Syria the growth of online black markets on social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok have facilitated and amplified the illicit trade in cultural property. Platforms now serve as spaces for looters to become online influencers where unregulated tech companies provide monetization tools for antiquities looters to make money even without a sale.

The new generation of traffickers know how to capitalize on Big Tech’s algorithms to maximize reach. Platforms like Facebook have democratized the illicit antiquities trade, enabling looters with artifacts ranging from Roman coins to Egyptian coffins to connect with globalized trafficking networks at the click of a button. The ATHAR Project’s open-source investigative research on the antiquities black market on social media provides real-time insights into the new generation of traffickers.

*A zoom link for the event will be sent to your email upon registration.