Lectures & Presentations
American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) - The Social Dilemma: How Social Media Platforms Accelerate Antiquities Trafficking and Control Online Communities
At the ASOR Annual Meeting, Katie Paul and Amr Al-Azm of the ATHAR Project examined how Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok facilitate antiquities trafficking. Drawing on ATHAR Project research, they highlighted how traffickers exploit platform algorithms, monetization tools, and weak enforcement to expand illicit markets.
UNESCO - The Fight Against Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property: for a Strengthened Global Dialogue; summary of the conference 2021
In September 2021, UNESCO and the European Union convened an international conference addressing illicit cultural property trafficking, including the growing role of online platforms. Experts emphasized stronger international cooperation, enforcement, and information sharing to combat trafficking and protect cultural heritage.
Cranfield Forensic Institute Cultural Heritage Crime Conference 2021 - How Tech Companies and Antiquities Traffickers Profit
In July 2021, Cranfield University hosted the international Cultural Heritage Crime Conference, examining antiquities trafficking, archaeological looting, and cultural heritage protection. Katie Paul and Amr Al-Azm of the ATHAR Project presented “The Digital Underworld for Looted Heritage,” exploring the role of digital platforms in facilitating the illicit antiquities trade and the challenges of combating online trafficking.
![GI-TOC - [VIDEO] Culture in Ruins: The illicit trade in cultural property in North and West Africa 20 November 2020](https://atharproject.org/uploads/reports/featured-images/20261101023305_6ae6a4e1603ad.webp)
GI-TOC - [VIDEO] Culture in Ruins: The illicit trade in cultural property in North and West Africa 20 November 2020
In November 2020, the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime hosted Culture in Ruins, an expert discussion examining antiquities trafficking in North and West Africa, particularly Mali, Nigeria, Tunisia, and Algeria. Katie Paul, Co-Director of the ATHAR Project, joined regional experts to discuss emerging trafficking dynamics, threats to cultural heritage, and the need for stronger national and international responses to the illicit trade.
![UNIDROIT - [VIDEO] Combatting Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property during COVID-19 – illicit excavations and online trade](https://atharproject.org/uploads/reports/featured-images/20261101022651_6ae6a36b8c22d.webp)
UNIDROIT - [VIDEO] Combatting Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property during COVID-19 – illicit excavations and online trade
In June 2020, UNESCO convened an international expert meeting examining the rise in archaeological looting and online antiquities trafficking during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research from the ATHAR Project helped inform the discussion by documenting increased online sales of illegally excavated artifacts, highlighting the growing threat to cultural heritage and the need for stronger international cooperation and regulation of online markets.
Center for Art Law - Lawyers’ Committee on Cultural Heritage Protection 10th Annual Conference
On April 5th, 2019, the Lawyers’ Committee on Cultural Heritage Protection (“LCCHP”) held its tenth annual conference at the Georgetown Law Center in Washington DC, on the topic of contemporary perspectives on cultural heritage.
![Victoria & Albert Museum Culture in Crisis conference 2018 - [VIDEO] Tracking 21st Century Traffickers: Facebook’s Illicit Antiquities Problem](https://atharproject.org/uploads/reports/featured-images/20261101021603_6ae6a0e34185f.webp)
Victoria & Albert Museum Culture in Crisis conference 2018 - [VIDEO] Tracking 21st Century Traffickers: Facebook’s Illicit Antiquities Problem
At the 2018 Victoria & Albert Museum Culture in Crisis conference in Pretoria, Katie Paul examines how major technology platforms, particularly Facebook, facilitate the illicit antiquities trade by connecting looters, traffickers, and buyers worldwide. Drawing on ATHAR Project research, she highlights inadequate platform enforcement and the need for greater corporate accountability and stronger protections for cultural heritage.