Craigslist Pulls Personal Ads Over Controversial Anti-Trafficking Bill

Searching for love or…something like? Don't trying looking for it on Craigslist.

The site has removed all personal ads post-obit the passage of a controversial anti sexual activity-trafficking bill. The legislation—known as FOSTA (Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act) or SESTA (Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act)—is meant to "aid ensure justice for victims of sex trafficking" by belongings websites and other platforms more liable for what people post. But critics say it volition really do the opposite.

The beak passed the Senate this week by a vote of 97-2 and at present heads to President Trump's desk.

FOSTA seeks to amend Section 230 of the Communications Decency Deed. Specifically, it would hold accountable websites that "unlawfully promote and facilitate prostitution and websites that facilitate traffickers in advertisement the sale of unlawful sex activity acts with sex trafficking victims."

The "might audio noble," the Electronic Frontier Foundation argues, merely Section 230 already "strikes an important balance for when online platforms can exist held liable for their users' spoken language," and it does non "protect platforms that break federal criminal law."

FOSTA "will silence online speech past forcing Internet platforms to censor their users" and "put trafficking victims in more than danger," the EFF says.

BREAKING: Today is a dark day for the Net. Congress only passed the Internet censorship bill SESTA/FOSTA. picture.twitter.com/uvVM95hvDX
— EFF (@EFF) March 21, 2022

In a note announcing its conclusion, Craigslist explains that the bill may "field of study websites to criminal and ceremonious liability when third parties (users) misuse online personals unlawfully."

"Any tool or service can be misused," Craigslist continued. "We can't take such risk without jeopardizing all our other services, then we are regretfully taking craigslist personals offline. Hopefully nosotros can bring them dorsum some 24-hour interval. To the millions of spouses, partners, and couples who met through craigslist, we wish you every happiness!"

Equally The Outline reports, Reddit has also shut down several forums that might run afoul of FOSTA.

In 2022, Craigslist permanently shut down its "adult services" section amidst pressure from state attorneys full general and human rights organizations, which said the site was teeming with ads for prostitution and trafficking children.

About Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo is PCMag's expert on fettle and smart dwelling products. Teaching yoga for nearly 10 years has helped her in evaluating a range of continued health products including fitness trackers, heart rate monitors, rowers, smart scales, stationary bikes, strength training machines, treadmills, and more. Angela likewise tests smart home devices from her ranch in Florida, including air purifiers, kitchen appliances, and robot vacuums, just to proper name a few.