Craigslist to Discontinue ‘Erotic’ Ads
Craigslist, the Web’s largest classified advertising site, said it would close its erotic services category, which critics have said is a forum that fosters prostitution and other illegal activities.
To replace it, the company has created a category called adult services, in which postings will be reviewed by employees who will look for indications of activity that is illegal or violates the site’s guidelines. The erotic services category would be deleted by May 20, Craigslist said.
Craigslist has been under increasing pressure from officials in several states, as violent crimes involving people who had made contact through the site made national headlines. But the changes did not appear to go far enough to satisfy everyone in the growing ranks of Craigslist’s detractors.
Jim Buckmaster (photo), chief executive of Craigslist, said the move was not made under any legal pressure, reported New York Times on May 13.
“In striking this new balance we have sought to incorporate important feedback from all the groups that have expressed strongly held views on this subject, including some of the state A.G.’s, free speech advocates and legal businesses who are accustomed to being entitled to advertise,” Mr. Buckmaster said.
He said Craigslist, which is based in San Francisco and has 30 employees, would hire enough new employees to be able to review adult services ads for indications of violations of the site’s terms of service, which prohibit sexually explicit images and offers of sex for money, among other things. Postings to the new category would cost $10 and can be renewed for $5.
The current controversy over the "erotic services" section of Craigslist was kicked-off several weeks ago. The case of Philip Markoff (photo), a 23-year-old medical student in Boston accused of killing a woman who offered masseuse services through Craigslist, has received national attention.
The new adult services category appeared on the site late Tuesday night, and is already home to ads for things like masseuse and escort services, similar to those that appear in alternative newspapers and the Yellow Pages.
"Sex workers" in San Francisco claim that Craigslist's decision to ban erotic ads will not decrease prostitution, only push more back to the street corners (see video).
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