Craigslist to Curb Illegal Sex Ads in State Agreement (Update3)
By Karen Freifeld
bloomberg.com
Nov. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Craigslist Inc., the online classified-advertising company, agreed with 40 states to increase requirements for advertisers in its ``erotic services'' category to help block offers of illegal sexual services.
Craigslist will require those who post ads in the ``erotic services'' category to provide a working phone number and pay a fee with a credit card, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said today in a statement. He negotiated with the company on behalf of other state attorneys general.
Blumenthal, the state's top law enforcement officer, sent San Francisco-based Craigslist a letter in March, alleging the company was allowing users to post ads for prostitution in violation of its own rules banning illegal and inappropriate content. The phone and credit-card information will be provided to law enforcement in response to subpoenas, Blumenthal said.
``Requiring phone numbers, credit cards and identifying details will provide a road map to prostitutes and sex traffickers -- so we can track them down and lock them up,'' Blumenthal said. ``Prostitutes will hopefully stop using Craigslist to break the law, knowing that their posts could lead to arrest and conviction.''
Craigslist agreed to sue 14 software and Internet companies that help those who post ads get around the site's defenses against inappropriate content and illegal activity, Blumenthal said. The site also will use better filters and blocking systems to screen ads, he said.
`New Safeguards'
``Craigslist has a long record of implementing measures to prevent misuse of its Web site, assisting law enforcement investigations and improving safety for Craigslist users,'' according to a joint statement by company president Jim Buckmaster, attorneys general, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a nonprofit organization which also joined in the agreement.
``This problem requires new safeguards for Craigslist and new ways of working together with law enforcement,'' according to the statement.
The accord calls for Craigslist to use search technology it developed to help the center and law enforcement identify missing persons, children and victims of human trafficking.
Craigslist has implemented a self-policing program that allows users to ``flag'' objectionable postings, according to the agreement. The company also digitally tags adult sections of its site to help parents who use screening software.
Charitable Donations
All net revenue from the ``erotic services'' advertisements will go to charity, according to the statement.
Susan MacTavish Best, a Craigslist spokeswoman, didn't immediately return an e-mail message seeking comment
The Web site is visited by more than 40 million Americans each month, according to the joint statement. The company, which has a staff of less than 30, hasn't exercised editorial control over its content, according to court papers.
``This agreement is intended to be a first step to make sure that Craigslist begins to address the prostitution and exploitation of women that occurs online,'' Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a statement.
The U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago said in a previous decision that Craigslist wasn't liable for the posting of discriminatory ads for the sale or rental of apartments and houses. The court said the company was more akin to a telephone carrier or package delivery service than a newspaper.
In addition to the 40 states, the agreement includes the District of Columbia, Guam and the Virgin Islands.
Facebook Inc. and News Corp.-unit MySpace, both social networking Web sites, earlier this year signed multistate agreements to adopt online safety standards to better protect children online. The firms had come under attack by regulators for not doing enough to police their sites and shield minors.
To contact the reporter on this story: Karen Freifeld in New York state Supreme Court in Manhattan at kfreifeld@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: November 6, 2008 15:02 EST |
