Maya Lahav
DPhil Researcher | Oxford University
Online Exploitation • Tech & Crime
About
A DPhil candidate in Criminology at the University of Oxford, specialising in human exploitation within online ecosystems and translating that research into policy, prevention, and tech safety.Previously led the Human Exploitation Department at a high-tech company, served as Head of Section in the Office for Cyber and Information Security at Denmark’s Ministry of Defense, and worked on human trafficking mitigation in Nepal. Holds degrees from Oxford, Edinburgh, and Copenhagen University.
Research
As traffickers increasingly migrate online, their methods evolve faster than our laws and platforms can respond. My DPhil explores how sex traffickers leverage social media and digital tools. Recognising how traffickers embed themselves within digital systems is essential for exposing the mechanisms that enable exploitation and sustain illicit markets in the digital age. My work aims to inform tech regulation and public policy with a deep understanding of criminal innovation.
Recent Engagements
Chairing Panel – International Stockholm Criminology Symposium, June 2025
Speaker – British Society of Criminology Conference, July 2025
CICJ Fellow – University of Sydney, 2025
ISF Global Fellow (Schmidt Futures), 2025
Quoted in The Guardian article, 2025
"Cybersecurity in the Age of GenAI" – CyberProtection Magazine, 2023
"Coercive Cyberbegging" – ActiveFence, 2023
Lecturer at DIS, 2023-2025
Support My Work
Currently seeking funding partners and collaborators to support my doctoral research and scale its impact.If you are an organisation, foundation, tech company, or policymaker invested in ethical technology, digital safety, or anti-trafficking efforts, let's connect.