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Craigslist Pulls Personal Ads Over Controversial Anti-Trafficking Bill

'Any tool or service can be misused,' Craigslist argued. 'We can't take such risk without jeopardizing all our other services, so we are regretfully taking craigslist personals offline.'

Angela Moscaritolo
 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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

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

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

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

The "might sound noble," the Electronic Frontier Foundation argues, but Section 230 already "strikes an important balance for when online platforms can be held liable for their users' speech," and it does not "protect platforms that break federal criminal law."

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

In a note announcing its decision, Craigslist explains that the bill may "subject websites to criminal and civil 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, so we are regretfully taking craigslist personals offline. Hopefully we can bring them back some day. To the millions of spouses, partners, and couples who met through craigslist, we wish you every happiness!"

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

In 2010, Craigslist permanently shut down its "adult services" section amidst pressure from state attorneys general and human rights organizations, which said the site was teeming with ads for prostitution and trafficking children.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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