Interview: Geebo.com Founder Yanks Personals to Prevent Child Trafficking

Online classified site and Craigslist competitor Geebo.com announced this week that is was permanently closing its online personal ads, citing a desire to ensure Geebo was never used to advertise human trafficking the way Craigslist has been. I caught up with Geebo founder Greg Collier to ask him about his company's attitudes towards human trafficking on online classified sites. And unlike certain other online classified founders, he was actually happy to talk to the media.

Geebo.com is a popular online classified ad web site which has been around since 2000 and operates in more than 150 communities nationwide. What sets Geebo apart from competitors, however, is a commitment to social responsibility. Their tagline, “safe community classifieds,” means they review every classified before posting and reject anything that smacks of scams, violence, or illegal activity. And they've taken care to prevent any human trafficking from infiltrating the site. Here's some of my chat with founder Greg Collier about Geebo's anti-trafficking stance.

Amanda: What instigated Geebo's decision to remove their personal ads section, and is it gone forever?

Greg: This decision has been a long time coming for Geebo. Since our inception we have advocated for increased security and privacy features for classified site users. Our review process allowed us to prevent child trafficking, prostitution, and other morally repugnant behavior, while also protecting the safety of our users genuinely looking for love. Even though we have NEVER had a problem [with human trafficking], we don’t want to risk the lives, liberty, or property of our users. The personals section is gone forever.

Amanda: What do you think of Craigslist's recent decision to block their "adult services" ads in the U.S.? Do you think they should voluntarily block those ads in other countries as well?

Greg: It is too little too late. They have “blocked” their “adult services” section, but many of the ads are still there. They appear to be filtering some sections within the larger markets, but you can still find them. I don’t think they should be commended for doing the bar minimum. Sure, they did something … but it is definitely not enough.

Amanda: What do you think of the Change.org petition to ask Village Voice Media to stop profiting from ads for human trafficking victims on Backpage.com?

Greg: Geebo supports this 100%. It is absolutely disgusting that Village Voice Media financially benefits from the exploitation of others. By posting human trafficking ads, they are encouraging the tragedy to continue. I would go so far as to say they are as equally to blame as the pimps because they too are profiting from the trafficking of their fellow humans.

Amanda: What role do you think online classified sites can or should play in the prevention of human trafficking via adult ads. Do online classified sites have a responsibility to prevent human trafficking on their site?

Greg: Yes, without a doubt. Any site that believes otherwise is too concerned with their bottom line, and ignorant of their duty to their users. Geebo doesn’t look at the prevention of human trafficking as a responsibility we have as a classified site, but as a responsibility we have to our fellow man, woman, and child.

Like Craigslist and Backpage, Geebo is a place where you can find a roommate, handyman, or workout buddy in your area. But unlike its bigger brothers, it's also a place where you can find a strong, proactive company commitment to ending human trafficking and protecting women and children from exploitation. And that's one thing I wouldn't buy, sell, or trade. Not even via a safe online classifieds site.

Photo credit: Geebo.com (with permission)