tuscl

Craigslist Censored: Adult Section Comes Down

Saturday, September 4, 2010 6:55 PM
Bad news for Craigslist users who like to peruse the Erotic Services Adult Services section of their site. It's gone, replaced by a large black and white “censored” logo. I've reached out to Craigslist for comment and await their reply. But the choice of words is significant – the section wasn't simply removed, the censored word was used. The site has been embattled as old press and state attorneys general use any excuse to blame sex crimes on the site. From South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster's failed crusade against them to a variety of press stories about sex and other crimes. If it's just a sex crime it isn't a story. But if a listing on Craigslist was involved, it's a big story. Craigslist has fought back using little more than their blog and logic. And they're right. Having prostitution up front and regulated, as Craigslist does, means less crime is associated with it. It's not like prostitution, sometimes called the world's oldest profession, was invented on the site. The fact that eBay and others do exactly the same thing, but without human review and moderation, doesn't seem to matter. Craigslist Sex is what scares the general population, and it's what the press and the politicians will continue to use to get their hits and votes. So the Craigslist Adult Section was removed. Is the world now a safer place? Update: This only appears to affect U.S. sites, so if you're looking for a happy ending in Saskatoon or the West Bank, have at it. [view link]

13 comments

  • steve229
    •
    14 years ago
    "The fact that eBay and others do exactly the same thing..." Wait, you can get an escort on eBay? Do you have to bid on her?
  • samsung1
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    14 years ago
    They do have [view link], which is a site that a stripper can use to sell her used panties, shoes, etc. I know one stripper who uses the site and told me about it. I have not bought anything yet and probably never will.
  • londonguy
    •
    14 years ago
    Craigslist is a waste of time. I've seen countless posts with fake photos, they like to use photos of escorts working in London, most of who are from Eastern Europe. Putting a post up usually means receiving spam for months on end and replies directing you to pay sites.
  • mmdv26
    •
    14 years ago
    Will the "services: erotic" posts start showing up on "casual encounters - w4m"??
  • RocStarsky
    •
    14 years ago
    Major blow???
  • Dudester
    •
    14 years ago
    The local Craigslist listings were so suspect that either they were poorly made ads, or LE bait. To truly respond, you were taking a roll of the dice. With that said, earlier this year, the ad placers were so brazen that they were posting a picture of a hotel (across the steet from one of my buildings) and writing "See me in room 203". Then, several months ago, the hotel started air tight security. You couldn't drive onto the parking lot without being a registered guest. Last week, I noticed that they slacked up on security. However, two streets over, I've seen prostitutes working the street, some of them looking 12-13 years old. I also see cops working that street, so I can imagine that if you troll the area, your license plate is being recorded.
  • sanitago
    •
    14 years ago
    I'll be honest: I've used Craigslist and a few of the other sites too (Eros,backpages, etc.). I've never found it any more likely that a posting on Craigslist was a fake than any similar place. I too think the whole crusade against them is motivated more by headlines (both for the 'new-sellers' and the politicians who pander to the moral crusaders) than anything else. be nice if they took a few of those loud-mouths to court and won a clear ruling in their favor. don't expect it to happen, but it'd be nice.
  • MajorBoobage
    •
    14 years ago
    Let's hope the attorneys general don't figure out the other sites all the real ads have migrated to!
  • trojangreg
    •
    14 years ago
    Still up in Vancouver. The amount of ads must mean every other female of age must be in the sex for hire trade.
  • troop
    •
    14 years ago
    sam.. don't hold your breath waiting for a reply from craigslist. i emailed them many times last year (possibly 20 times) over some problems i had regarding an ad i had in the for sale section and never received a response other than their auto generated bot. i checked, erotic ads are still up in canadian cities and i suppose they are everywhere else except here in the good ol u.s.a. the funny thing is that the ads, both legit and spam will just show up elsewhere. the politicians haven't accomplished anything except some self promoting headlines and that's probably all that they wanted anyway.
  • FinalLap
    •
    14 years ago
    Where are the best escort/adult services ads at this point? I've seen Backpage, but am not familiar with any others. I do NOT want to subscribe, give them a card, etc.
  • samsung1
    •
    14 years ago
    I think using TER is the best resource. You can pay for a membership or you can write reviews for free membership similar to TUSCL business model.
  • troop
    •
    14 years ago
    well canada might be next... The RCMP is working with Craigslist to try to stop erotic ads that many fear are a cover for prostitution from being posted on the company's website in Canada. Craigslist shut down its adult services section in the United States on Saturday and replaced it with a black bar that simply says "censored." The move came after a group of state attorneys general said there weren't enough protections against blocking potentially illegal ads promoting prostitution. But as of Wednesday morning, the Canadian site still had an "erotic" link listed under services. Mounties want that to change. "The RCMP Human Trafficking National Co-ordination Centre has partnered with Craigslist and has met [with Craigslist officials] on several occasions trying to implement some measures in Canada," Sgt. Marie-Claude Arsenault said at a news conference in Winnipeg.
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