tagged w/ Craigslist Erotic Services
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It's been a lousy few months for sex on Craigslist. First, 40 state attorneys general banded together to demand that the world's biggest classified site take down its "erotic services" (read: prostitution) ads.*(See correction at the end of this article.) Then, in March, right on cue, a man in New York was murdered by a teenager he met through Craigslist. Soon after, Boston cops arrested Philip Markoff, the med student accused of robbing, and in one case killing, escorts he found through Craigslist. Now South Carolina's attorney general is threatening to prosecute the site's employees.
"Just by being good guys, we've created a culture of trust and fairness," the site's eponymous founder, Craig Newmark, once told Wired. Well, sort of—if you don't count the occasional Jack the Ripper wannabe. Nothing spells "bad PR" like a sex and murder scandal.
If Craigslist were a conventional company, it would have a crisis PR firm gunning the engines to get as far away from sex ads as possible. But Craigslist is not. Many outlets have reported that Craigslist would drop its "erotic services" ads, but this is essentially a fiction. It has only reluctantly agreed to vet ads for explicit prostitution offers (ads that euphemistically offer massage or just leave the details of about what to expect are still OK) and replaced the controversial category with the essentially identical "adult services." Meanwhile, the "casual encounters" section—ads for "no strings attached" sex that are often more lurid than the paid-sex ads in "erotic services"—remains as active and unregulated as ever. And Craigslist has even managed to fan the fires by suing the attorney general of South Carolina.
All of which raises an obvious question: Why do the people behind the 13th most visited site in the United States run ads for prostitution and kink in the first place?It's been a lousy few months for sex on Craigslist. First, 40 state attorneys... more
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As Craigslist begins monitoring its adult-services classifieds, The Daily Beast sent one intrepid reporter on a final booty call.As Craigslist begins monitoring its adult-services classifieds, The Daily Beast sent... more
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Caigslist will replace its controversial online "erotic services" listings with a section where ads are individually checked by Craigslist employees before they are posted, according to Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.
The popular national classified-ad Web site -- which Blumenthal called "a blatant Internet brothel" -- has been accused by law enforcement officials across the United States of promoting prostitution through its erotic ads.
"Craigslist is heeding our clear call for conscience and common sense, sending a strong signal that Internet sites must police themselves to protect others," Blumenthal said.
Craigslist representatives met in New York last week with Blumenthal and the attorneys general of Missouri and Illinois, all of whom asked the company to shut down its "erotic services" sections in their states.
Cook County, Illinois, Sheriff Thomas Dart called Craigslist "the single largest source of prostitution in the nation."Caigslist will replace its controversial online "erotic services" listings... more
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Well, you know how it goes. The world's oldest profession will never cease, even if Craigslist, in an agreement with most U.S. state attorney generals, nixes their "erotic services" category in favor of a monitored "adult" one. This comes amid controversy surrounding the Craigslist Killer incident on the East Coast when a medical student from Boston was charged with killing a masseuse he met off the site. But, as ZDNet Government Richard Koman notes, this move does little to stop violence: "the AGs seem more concerned with protecting morals than lives."Well, you know how it goes. The world's oldest profession will never cease, even... more
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CHICAGO — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan says that Craigslist is getting rid of its "erotic services" ads and will create a new adult category that Web site employees will review.CHICAGO — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan says that Craigslist is getting... more
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