Popular online classifieds company Craigslist has dropped its adult classifieds section, removing it from its website after severe pressure from state regulators.
The San Francisco-based company has been criticized and taken to court by attorneys general from more than a dozen states for allegedly condoning sexual ads and ads for what some regulators deemed as breeding grounds for prostitution, in its “Adult Services” section.
Late Friday, the classifieds site removed its adult services section, replacing it with a banner that reads “censored.”
It is not certain whether the removal of the site is permanent or temporary. The removal only affects the United States, as IP addresses from other countries can still access the “Adult Services” section, which was confirmed by PC Magazine.
“We are pleased that the judge has thrown out Craigslist’s lawsuit against the state,” said South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster in a statement. “This is a victory for the Constitution and law enforcement.”
The site has come under scrutiny and criticism from lawmakers, human rights groups, and the media. In a recent interview with CNN, Craigslist founder Craig Newmark seemed unable to answer certain questions regarding allegations of prostitution on the site.
In May 2009, the company instituted a system of “self screening” for its adult classifieds section, where trained lawyers employed by Craigslist would flag and reject ads deemed to be inappropriate. More than 700,000 such postings were rejected by Craigslist in such a fashion, according to a posting from Craigslist’s official blog dated Aug. 18.
The company’s CEO, Jim Buckmaster, later criticized CNN’s interview as being “highly misleading” and a “stunt,” according to an official blog posting from Craigslist.
Newmark founded the company in 1995 in San Francisco.
The San Francisco-based company has been criticized and taken to court by attorneys general from more than a dozen states for allegedly condoning sexual ads and ads for what some regulators deemed as breeding grounds for prostitution, in its “Adult Services” section.
Late Friday, the classifieds site removed its adult services section, replacing it with a banner that reads “censored.”
It is not certain whether the removal of the site is permanent or temporary. The removal only affects the United States, as IP addresses from other countries can still access the “Adult Services” section, which was confirmed by PC Magazine.
“We are pleased that the judge has thrown out Craigslist’s lawsuit against the state,” said South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster in a statement. “This is a victory for the Constitution and law enforcement.”
The site has come under scrutiny and criticism from lawmakers, human rights groups, and the media. In a recent interview with CNN, Craigslist founder Craig Newmark seemed unable to answer certain questions regarding allegations of prostitution on the site.
In May 2009, the company instituted a system of “self screening” for its adult classifieds section, where trained lawyers employed by Craigslist would flag and reject ads deemed to be inappropriate. More than 700,000 such postings were rejected by Craigslist in such a fashion, according to a posting from Craigslist’s official blog dated Aug. 18.
The company’s CEO, Jim Buckmaster, later criticized CNN’s interview as being “highly misleading” and a “stunt,” according to an official blog posting from Craigslist.
Newmark founded the company in 1995 in San Francisco.
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