Craigslist Should Keep Erotic Ads
The Cook County, Illiniois sheriff's department is gunning to shut down the "Erotic Services" segment of popular classifieds site Craigslist, claiming the little Web site that could facilitates and enables prostitution. Sheriff Tom Dart wants the ninth most popular Web site to close the shutters on Erotic Services forever and accept responsibility for being "the single largest source of prostitution in the nation."
But is Craigslist really breaking the law, or is it simply dartboard fodder for a dangerously conservative political movement that could stifle freedom on the Internet?
In order to deserve the moniker "pimp," Craigslist must profit from its participation in prostitution. Craigslist does not. Late last year the Web site began charging for ads placed in the Erotic Services section and required ID verification. All proceeds culled from the transaction were donated to charities. But a loophole has been found, and many prostitution busts have stemmed from non-paying posts, meaning the ads were featured in the ordinary personals section -- masked as individuals seeking those who are "generous$" -- or hidden somewhere else on the site.
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Craigslist is way to problematic - I really don’t think that adult ads should be mixed with “all-ages” ads. Personally, I’ll stick with adult sites which offer classified ads like Naughty Reviews . It just makes more sense: put the adult ads where the interested adults are looking for them.