In This Article
30-Second Summary
Headline Link: ‘Craigslist Slammed for Hosting Prostitution Ads’
Reaction: The Craigslist blog
Background: The Dark Side of Craigslist
Related topics: Baby for sale and house ransacked
Opinion: ‘Craigslist is Our Mirror, Nothing Better (or Worse)’
Reference: Craigslist
Video link: ‘Fake Craigslist Post Leads to Arrests’
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Craigslist Under Fire for Prostitution Ads
by
findingDulcinea Staff
Connecticut's attorney general slams Craigslist for failing to patrol visitors who use the site to facilitate prostitution, despite efforts by the site to clean up its act.
30-Second Summary
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal sent a letter on Thursday to Craigslist’s lawyer, Barry Reingold, asking that the Web site address the problem of prostitution services being advertised on the site.
“I am astonished and appalled by Craigslist’s refusal to recognize the reality of prostitution on its Web site—despite advertisements containing graphic photographs and hourly rates, and widespread public reports of prostitutes using the site,” wrote Blumenthal.
In response, Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster pointed out that the company has recently taken measures to monitor erotic service ads, and will make further improvements in monitoring the site in the future.
“Mr. Blumenthal’s office is aware of these improvements, and we are disappointed that he has not recognized the tremendous progress we are making,” Buckmaster said.
Craigslist, which has been criticized in the past, has recently been in the news again for several instances of visitors using the site to commit crimes.
In Oregon, a 33-year-old man was recently arrested for a hoax in which he listed an infant for sale. Another resident of the state lost most of his belongings when a couple trying to cover up a burglary posted a false ad saying he was giving all of his possessions away for free.
Michael Arrington at TechCrunch says that Craigslist is simply a mirror of our society, reflecting both the good and the bad.
“Craigslist has it all—sex, drugs, humiliation and more,” Arrington writes. “But for the most part Craigslist is just a really good place to find a job, or a boyfriend, or to buy cheap furniture for your dorm room.”
“I am astonished and appalled by Craigslist’s refusal to recognize the reality of prostitution on its Web site—despite advertisements containing graphic photographs and hourly rates, and widespread public reports of prostitutes using the site,” wrote Blumenthal.
In response, Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster pointed out that the company has recently taken measures to monitor erotic service ads, and will make further improvements in monitoring the site in the future.
“Mr. Blumenthal’s office is aware of these improvements, and we are disappointed that he has not recognized the tremendous progress we are making,” Buckmaster said.
Craigslist, which has been criticized in the past, has recently been in the news again for several instances of visitors using the site to commit crimes.
In Oregon, a 33-year-old man was recently arrested for a hoax in which he listed an infant for sale. Another resident of the state lost most of his belongings when a couple trying to cover up a burglary posted a false ad saying he was giving all of his possessions away for free.
Michael Arrington at TechCrunch says that Craigslist is simply a mirror of our society, reflecting both the good and the bad.
“Craigslist has it all—sex, drugs, humiliation and more,” Arrington writes. “But for the most part Craigslist is just a really good place to find a job, or a boyfriend, or to buy cheap furniture for your dorm room.”
Headline Link: ‘Craigslist Slammed for Hosting Prostitution Ads’
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal on Thursday sent a letter to Craigslist’s lawyer, Barry Reingold, asking that the Web site address the problem of prostitution services being advertised on the site. “I am astonished and appalled by Craigslist’s refusal to recognize the reality of prostitution on its Web site—despite advertisements containing graphic photographs and hourly rates, and widespread public reports of prostitutes using the site,” Richard Blumenthal wrote. His letter followed the arrest earlier this month of a Connecticut woman who used the site to advertise prostitution services.
Source: InformationWeek
Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster responded to Blumenthal’s letter by saying, “Misuse of Craigslist for illegal purposes is absolutely unacceptable to us. This month we implemented new screening procedures for erotic service ads, which have dramatically improved compliance with our terms of use, and reduced the volume of such ads by up to 80 percent. Mr. Blumenthal’s office is aware of these improvements, and we are disappointed that he has not recognized the tremendous progress we are making.”
Source: The New Haven Register
Reaction: The Craigslist blog
Craiglist's executives responded on their blog, saying that they were disappointed that Blumenthal "chose to ignore our recent progress in dramatically improving compliance with our terms of use, shocked at the bizarre assertion that we are 'stonewalling,' and frankly stunned to hear Craigslist recklessly slandered as 'profiting from prostitution.' We welcome feedback from any and all interested parties as to how we can improve, but craigslist will not be used as a punching bag for false and defamatory statements. Unlike the telephone Yellow Pages, many newspapers, and countless Web sites, which for many years have profited from 'erotic service' ads, craigslist derives no revenue (let alone profit) from 'erotic services,' and in fact we incur significant costs in enforcing our terms of use regarding these ads. Connecticut Craigslist users are no doubt curious as to why their AG is spending time attacking freedom of speech and law-abiding companies that provide much-needed free services to the people of Connecticut, when there is so much actual crime left unaddressed. We don't have the answer, but would be interested to know what it is."
Source: Craigslist blog
Background: The Dark Side of Craigslist
Earlier this year, findingDulcinea explored the growing number of crimes committed using Craigslist. Some think Craigslist’s lax registration policies make its owners responsible. So far the courts have disagreed.
Source: findingDulcinea
Related topics: Baby for sale and house ransacked
In March, a 33-year-old man was arrested for posting a false advertisement on Craigslist offering an infant for sale. Police in Salem, Oregon, were contacted regarding the advertisement, and determined the person named on the ad to be real, but not the person who posted it.
Source: Salem News
Two thieves trying to cover their tracks were responsible for the Craigslist posting that cost an Oregon man many of his belongings, police said. The couple stole two horse saddles and other items from Robert Salisbury’s home, and then posted a notice on the Web site saying that he was leaving the state and giving away all of his belongings for free. Robert Salisbury was at a national park when he received a phone call from a stranger asking whether he really intended to get rid of his horse. After that he hurried home and passed a truck and cars filled with his possessions.
Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Five people have been jailed in Ohio after a prostitution sting at a local motel. Police apprehended the suspects responsible for posting the ads, after drawing them to a motel, where deputies say they intended to provide sex acts for money.
Source: Local 12
Opinion: ‘Craigslist is Our Mirror, Nothing Better (or Worse)’
Michael Arrington at TechCrunch comments on the recent examples of Craigslist posting gone awry, and concludes that Craigslist is simply a mirror of our society, displaying the good and the bad. “Countless connections and transactions are made on the site, and the vast majority are of benefit to everyone involved. Sure, mainstream press feasts on the occasional accident scene, making it seem like the site is a den of predators waiting to strike at anyone who drops by. Craigslist has it all—sex, drugs, humiliation and more. But for the most part Craigslist is just a really good place to find a job, or a boyfriend, or to buy cheap furniture for your dorm room.”
Source: TechCrunch
Reference: Craigslist
The free, community-moderated Web site offers classifieds and forums in more than 450 cities worldwide.
Source: Craigslist
The blog Craigscrimelist.org keeps readers up-to-date on every instance of Craigslist gone wrong.
Source: Craigscrimelist.org
Craigslist’s new blog, launched in early March, 2008, addresses some of the Web site’s current issues in the news.
Source: Craigslist
Video link: ‘Fake Craigslist Post Leads to Arrests’
An Associated Press report on the fake Craigslist posting that cost a man his belongings.
Source: The Associated Press
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