Craigslist Censors Adult Services Section

MITTERRAND GAY SEX THAILAND X390 (GETTY) | ADVOCATE.COM

The classified advertisement website Craigslist announced Saturday it would censor its ads for adult services.

The move came after a group of 17 attorneys general sent a letter to the Craigslist management ordering it to take down its adult services section. Now the website shows a black "censored" bar over the space once occupied by "adult services."

"The increasingly sharp public criticism of Craigslist's Adult Services section reflects a growing recognition that ads for prostitution — including ads trafficking children — are rampant on it," read the August 24 letter to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster and founder Craig Newmark.

Susan MacTavish Best, who handles press inquiries for Craigslist, told CNN the company supports the AGs' "desire to end trafficking in children and women through the Internet or by any other means." She added that the company will work closely with them, experts at nonprofit organizations, and law enforcement.

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Reader Comments

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Name: JasonBR
Date posted: 9/7/2010 12:38:54 PM
Hometown: Baton Rouge

Comment:
I agree that prostition should be legalized, but if they are having problems with trafficking of children, then something definitely needs to be done. I'm really not totally sure what this article is in here because CL is not only a gay site and the "adult services" covers str8 and gay. They still have the personals section so anyone wanting to hook up for fun or profit will still be able to do it on CL.
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Name: matthew
Date posted: 9/7/2010 7:56:49 AM
Hometown: Boston

Comment:
Every country that does not legalize, clean-up, and tax prostitution inspires the darker and more dangerous side of the business. There is no getting rid of it, only wasting more money trying. Especially in these times, instead of taxing the unemployed, how about taxing people who might actually enjoy the chance to be legal and pay their taxes. It is about time all the middle-east fascist religions stop dictating their ineffective and backward policies on the world (and about time the hypocrites among them stop profiting from the things they supposedly oppose). As for Craigslist, they just lost a third of their income, sounds like more unemployed people, that is not really what we need just now is it? [And yet another reason to be ashamed of our atty. general in MA, you know, the one who lost the Kennedy seat to Republican beefcake, and for lots of good reasons just like this one].
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Name: Brad Bailey
Date posted: 9/6/2010 8:22:42 PM
Hometown: Fayetteville, AR

Comment:
I recently saw a TV documentary about this. Organized crime lures thousands of poverty-stricken women here every year with promises of a better life, only to force them into prostitution with violence and threats against their families. Prostitution is more profitable than drugs because the money never stops as long as the prostitutes are alive. Craigslist Adult Services is a major venue for these thugs.
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Name: JasonBR
Date posted: 9/6/2010 3:33:14 PM
Hometown: Baton Rouge

Comment:
They are only censoring the "Adult Services" section not the personals. I don't see what the big deal is. Who ever wants to hook up on Craigslist will still be able to do it, even closeted Republicans.
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Name: Greg
Date posted: 9/6/2010 9:59:02 AM
Hometown: Providence RI

Comment:
Well I was gonna say, oh dear, how will closeted gay Republican Christian guys ever find sex now??? (They cause MUCH more trouble when they ain't gettin' any!) Well at least there are plenty of other websites!
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Name: Megan
Date posted: 9/5/2010 11:16:40 PM
Hometown: Cleveland

Comment:
Really guys?? Come on! I'm actually FOR this because craigslist isn't a dating (or whatever else) site; it's for the greater community as a whole. If you really want to get that kind of stuff, you don't have to look far on the internet. It is out in the open already. But let's keep craigslist for the community as a whole and clean it up, shall we?
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Name: Fred Stanley
Date posted: 9/5/2010 10:38:41 PM
Hometown: Palm Springs, CA

Comment:
This is not a very great action!! There are far too many other websites for male hookers. This certainly will not reduce the demand at all.
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Name: GayLover
Date posted: 9/5/2010 10:27:30 PM
Hometown: Earth

Comment:
Who's next for the censorship? Gay.com, adam4adam, yahoo groups? Welcome to the Communist States of America, circa 2010.
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Name: jesse
Date posted: 9/5/2010 6:51:04 PM
Hometown: ann arbor

Comment:
What an odd accompanying photo...
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Name: BruceLD
Date posted: 9/5/2010 4:25:05 PM
Hometown: Vancouver

Comment:
What a terrible idea closing down this section. They just drove these activities underground where it will be even more difficult for police to monitor highly illegal activities.

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