Craigslist Removes "Erotic Services" Section

by Amanda Kloer · 2009-05-14 06:34:00 UTC
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After large public outcry and at least one lawsuit, Craigslist has agreed to ditch their "erotic services" section, the part of the site where you can most easily find prostituted children and human trafficking victims.

But don't break out the champagne just yet.  While they are removing the "erotic services" section, they are creating a new "legal adult services" section.  They claim that in the new section, each post will be manually screened to make sure it complies with the company's terms of use, which include not selling minors for sex.  Don't be surprised if you still see an "erotic services" section on your homepage- it will be around for seven more days.

While we may still have some work today, getting Craigslist to voluntarily change the way they do business is quite an achievement, and it happened because of you.  You wrote letters, and commented on blogs, and told Craigslist that allowing trafficking victims to be sold on their site was unacceptable.  This decision is a testament to the power of individuals committed to and working for change.  Thank you!

As for what happens next with Craisglist, here's my idea: since they supposedly don't want the new "legal adult services" section to be about erotic services, let's flood the new section with other types of "legal adult services".  My suggestions for services to help real adults with real adult issues:

  • lawn care

  • tax help

  • wine retailers

  • estate planning

  • parenting classes

  • diet and excercise information

  • lecture series

Trust me, with that list of topics, kids will have no interest in going anywhere near that part of Craigslist.  And, quite frankly, I would love to find a place to get an interesting and inexpensive Cabernet.

Amanda Kloer is a Change.org Editor and has been a full-time abolitionist in several capacities for seven years. Follow her on Twitter @endhumantraffic
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