Craigslist moves to crack down on prostitution ads
Online classified site craigslist.com has introduced new rules aimed at cracking down on advertisements for prostitutes.
Craigslist said it would now charge a small fee and require credit card verification for postings in the "erotic services" section of the site, in addition to an existing requirement that a working phone number be supplied.
"Requiring credit card verification, and charging a fee to post in this category raises accountability to a point where we expect few illicit ads will remain," craigslist chief executive Jim Buckmaster said.
"For those that do persist, telephone and credit card information will be available to law enforcement via subpoena," he added.
The site said all of the revenue from the ads would be donated to charity.
Craigslist said the changes were meant to "prevent its online communities and classified ads from being misused for the facilitation of human trafficking, child exploitation, and other illegal activities."
The San Francisco-based company announced the measures in a joint statement on Thursday with law enforcement authorities in more than 40 US states and territories and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
"The incidence of crime on craigslist is actually exceedingly low, considering the tens of millions of legitimate ads posted each month by well-intentioned users," Buckmaster said.
"But no amount of criminal activity is acceptable, and as craigslist has grown, we have become aware of instances where our free services were being misused to facilitate illegal activities."
AFP
