NEWS    RECALLS    COMPLAINT FORM    SCAM ALERTS   RESOURCES  
Small Claims Guide   Class Actions   Lemon Laws   FAQ   Newsletters  
Share


Complain about a product or service

Automotive    Education    Employment    Electronics    Family    Finance    Health    Homeowners    Insurance    Pets    Shopping    Travel     Print This     Email This    



NEWS   Latest |  Archives |  Auto |  Cells, etc. |  Computers |  Financial |  Health |  Homeowners |  Parents |  Privacy |  Scams |  Seniors |  Travel

States Strong-Arm Craigslist to Squelch Prostitutes' Ads

Connecticut leads charge to "make Internet safer"





By Truman Lewis
ConsumerAffairs.com

November 7, 2008 

1st Amendment
California Consumer Advocate Slams Brown Over Taping of Phone Calls
California Consumer Group Wants Its Billboard Back
Cash4Gold Sues Consumerist.com Over Investigation
Internet Publishers Caution Congress
Craigslist CEO Sues South Carolina Attorney General
Craigslist CEO, South Carolina AG Trade Potshots Over Erotic Ads
Craigslist Shuts Down "Erotic Services" Ads
States Turn Up Heat on Craigslist Sex Postings
Doctors Gagging Patients
States Strong-Arm Craigslist to Squelch Prostitutes' Ads
Is Old Media a Thing Of the Past?
Lawyer’s Threats, Intimidation Shut Down Web Site
Nemet Chevrolet Plans Appeal in Consumer Site Suit
Maryland Developer Seeks Names of Web Complainants
Craiglist Bites Back, Answers Connecticut AG
Connecticut Wants Craiglist to Pull Prostitution Ads
Craiglist Cleared in Biased-Postings Suit
Ionic Breeze Suit Drives Sharper Image into Bankruptcy
Video Professor Drops Subpoena, Goes After Wikipedia Users
Court Ruling Protects Anonymous Bloggers
AT&T Changes Terms Of Service After Outcry
AT&T Stiffens Language Covering Objectionable Content
Blogger, Journalist, Citizen: Which is Which?
Consumers Revolt Against High-Priced Media
Senate Press Gallery Ejects Consumer Journalist
Report Calls for More 'Transparency' in Congress
Builders, Contractors Hammer Consumer Sites
New York Upholds Consumers' Right to Criticize
Judge Lifts Injunction Against Video Game
Florida Dentists Drop Efforts to Silence Critical Web Site
EFF Files Suit to Protect Journalist From Drug Company Intimidation
Sharper Image Loses First Amendment Case Against Consumers Union
Life Alert Drops 2 of 3 Claims Against ConsumerAffairs.com

Bowing to a vigilante mob of 40 states and assorted other entities, Craigslist has agreed to crack down on ads posted by prostitutes and become, in effect, a partner of law enforcement agencies.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal led the charge against the popular online ad site, which has agreed to require that posters of erotic services ads give a working phone number and pay a fee with a valid credit card. Craigslist also agreed to provide the information in response to law enforcement subpoenas.

"Requiring phone numbers, credit cards and identifying details will provide a roadmap to prostitutes and sex traffickers -- so we can track them down and lock them up. Information is a powerful disincentive and disinfectant to purveyors of illegal sex. Prostitutes will hopefully stop using Craigslist to break the law, knowing that their posts could lead to arrest and conviction," Blumenthal said of his effort to curb free speech on the Internet.

"We need to track down and crack down on illicit sex on Craigslist and deter such ads to make the Internet safer. Craigslist will also explore new technology -- better filters and blocking -- to screen out and stop ads for illegal activity."

Sounds of silence

The development drew little response from organizations that are normally quick to defend free speech.

Newspapers, whose monopolistic business models have been damaged by Craigslist and other free classified ad sites, reported the story as a victory for law enforcement, although a senior staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) noted mildly that there is no legal requirement for Craigslist to take such actions.

Existing law provides immunity to services such as Craigslist for actions taken by their users, said EFF's Kurt Opfahl, although he noted that law enforcement officials can subpoena such companies for user information such as phone and credit card numbers.

Craigslist also committed to sue 14 software and Internet companies that help erotic service ad posters circumvent the website's defenses against inappropriate content and illegal activity and said it will provide the attorneys general with information about those businesses for possible civil and criminal prosecution.

In addition, Craigslist will deploy search technology that it developed to assist the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and law enforcement agencies in identifying missing persons, children and victims of human trafficking. It will also explore technology to block inappropriate image uploads and better filters for code words and euphemisms for illegal activity.

"Commendably, Craigslist acknowledged and addressed this problem and agreed to safeguards that better protect children and help stop sex trafficking," Blumenthal said. "Its commitment to sue unscrupulous companies should help halt criminal activity. Its search software will help law enforcement and NCMEC track down and rescue exploited children."

"We'll continue to fight illicit and illegal activity on the Internet, especially threatening the safety and wellbeing of children. The dark side of Internet must be stopped from eclipsing its immense potential for good," he said.



Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Share

Follow us on Twitter.

FREE CONSUMER NEWSLETTERS

The Daily Consumer
Afternoons M-F

Sign up now!


Consumer News & Alerts
Every Sunday

Sign up now!





CONSUMER NEWS

SAFETY RECALLS

Back to the top |

Advertisement


Custom Search
AUTOMOTIVE
• Dealers
• Manufacturers
• Service
• Extended Warranties
• Lemon Laws
• Recalls
• Tires
• Transporters

FAMILY
• Aging
• Children, Parenting
• Recalls
• Dating
• Education
• Entertainment
• Pets
• Weddings
FINANCE
• Annuities
• Banks
• Credit Cards
• Debt Collection
• Debt Counseling
• Insurance
• Investing
• Loans
• Mortgages
• Payday Loans
• Student Loans
• Tax Prep

HEALTH
• Doctors
• Drugs, Pharmacies
• Health Clubs
• Hearing Care
• Hospitals
• Nursing Homes
• Nutrition, Diets
• Vision Care
• Weight Loss
HOUSE & HOME
• Appliances
• Cookware
• Furniture
• Home Improvements
• Lawn & Garden
• Movers
• Pools & Spas
• Realtors, Rental Agents
• Recalls
• Utilities

ELECTRONICS
• Cable TV/DBS
• Cameras
• Cell Phones
• Computers
• Home Electronics
• Internet Access
• Local Phone Service
• Long Distance
• VoIP
SHOPPING
• In-Home
• Online
• Retail Stores
• Sporting Goods
• Supermarkets
• Telemarketers

TRAVEL
• Airlines
• Bus Lines
• Car Rental
• Cruises
• Hotels
• Travel Agents
• Trains

RESOURCES
• Class Actions
• Complaint Form
• Small Claims Guide
• Lemon Laws
CONSUMER NEWS
• Latest News
• Automotive
• Telecom
• Financial
• Health
• Homeowners
• Scams
• Seniors
• Travel
• More ...

RECALLS
• Automotive
• Children's Products
• Drugs
• Food
• Household Products
• Sporting Goods

ABOUT US
• FAQ
• Privacy Policy
• Advertise With Us
• Newsroom
• Syndication
• Terms of Use

Terms of Use Your use of this site constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use

Advertisements on this site are placed and controlled by outside advertising networks. ConsumerAffairs.com does not evaluate or endorse the products and services advertised. See the FAQ for more information.

Company Response Welcome If complaints about your company appear on our site, we welcome your response. Please see the Response Form for more information.

For more information, see the FAQ and privacy policy. The information on this Web site is general in nature and is not intended as a substitute for competent legal advice.  ConsumerAffairs.com Inc. makes no representation as to the accuracy of the information herein provided and assumes no liability for any damages or loss arising from the use thereof. 

Copyright © 2003-2009 ConsumerAffairs.com Inc.  All Rights Reserved.    The contents of this site may not be republished, reprinted, rewritten or recirculated without written permission.