San Francisco – Online classifieds site Craigslist removed
its Adult Services section in the U.S. on Friday, replacing it with the word
"censored" in a nod to pressure from 17 state attorneys general who
charged the service aided in prostitution and human trafficking. The Adult Services section is still available on Craigslist’s sites outside of the U.S.
Responding to
mounting pressure, the company has made changes to the section in recent years,
renaming it from "Erotic Services," and requiring ad posters have a
valid phone number and pay a fee via credit card.
Media reports indicate that
some of the ads that would have been paid for in the Adult Services section on
Craigslist now appear to be popping up on the site’s "Casual
Encounters" and general personals ad sections.
In a statement, Connecticut
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal called on Craigslist to confirm it has
"permanently closed" the Adult Services section, and relay the
"steps it will take to prevent prostitution ads from migrating to other
parts of the site."
Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/2fucc2d
(AP)
http://tinyurl.com/25ea6qn
(TechCrunch)
