Misdirected Outrage
Senatorial candidate CT AG Blumenthal is again pointing a misguided finger of blame at a faithful partner of law enforcement.
Misuse of craigslist for criminal purposes is utterly unacceptable, and craigslist continues to work with its partners in law enforcement and at NGOs to eliminate it. Among the many steps CL has taken that collectively set it far ahead of the countless other companies accepting adult service ads (including many among the Fortune 500) when it comes to combating crime:
- educating and encouraging CL users to report trafficking/exploitation
- prominently featuring a directory of trafficking/exploitation resources
- providing specialized anti-trafficking tools for law enforcement
- providing support for law enforcement anti-crime sweeps and stings
- actively participating in NCMEC’s cybertipline program
- meeting regularly with experts at NGOs and in law enforcement
- manually reviewing every adult service ad submitted
- requiring phone verification for every adult service ad
- implementing the PICS content labeling system
craigslist figures in newspaper “crime stories” periodically in part because it is extremely law enforcement friendly — we are known for our responsiveness to law enforcement inquiries, and we actively assist in sweeps and stings — and those foolish enough to misuse the site in connection with crime are disproportionately likely to get caught.
Of the thousands of US venues that carry adult service ads, including ones operated by some of our largest and best known companies, craigslist has done the best and most responsible job of combating child exploitation and human trafficking. Period. We would challenge anyone to find a company that goes anywhere near the lengths to which CL does.
Lagging behind (to mention but a few) are the large mainstream internet portals, the major search engines, large telephone companies (yellow pages), major newspapers, chain operators of alternative weeklies, etc — which derive vastly more revenue from adult service ads than craigslist, while doing far less than craigslist to combat exploitation/trafficking.
Better questions for AG Blumenthal — questions I understand he is finally starting to be asked — where is his “outrage” toward all of these companies? Why does he continue to offer a free pass to larger venues that have yet to take any of the positive steps CL has already taken? Why continue to scapegoat craigslist?
April 28th, 2010 at 11:25 am
Why promote adult service ads in the first place if it’s a medium for child exploitation?
April 28th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Put “adult service” in quotes? Just a thought.
April 30th, 2010 at 11:03 am
We are implementing the DAYTON HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACCORDS here in America and request the chance to effectively work with you and your foundation to end human trafficking.
- Phil
888.206.3264
http://www.stopslavery2010.com
April 30th, 2010 at 11:41 am
Unfortunately it’s not illegal to allow advertisement of illegal services. These services are “quality of life” crimes. In our society, we have declined to allow government to regulate these type of crimes. Especially with the Internet’s easy access to porn, many no longer view these services as wrong. However, over time it has become clear that their adverse affects warrant stronger enforcement: deterioration of the family unit, sexual addiction, spread of secondary STDs that lead to susceptibility to life threatening STDs such as HIV. Spread of STD virus’ to innocent mates which cause such life threatening diseases such as ovarian cancer in the unsuspecting wife. In addition to the financial losses, the emotional harm to affected individuals and their family members. On top of that, the human trafficking, drugs, etc.
We need to stop denying the consequences, and doing better than others doesn’t mean you’re doing good enough. You have to stand for something, and although the money is attractive, doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do for your fellow human, for humanity. A person can make a lot of money robbing a bank, but that doesn’t justify it, does it?!
April 30th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Taking down CL personal classifieds is not going to “do” anything to miraculously make people use better judgment, stop cheating on their life, or turn straight and quit looking for “casual encounters”.
Humans make choices everyday of their lives. By pushing against the problem you are only making it bigger, and more of a problem.
If you have a problem with what’s going on in your neighbors living room, in the house next door, or even online… kindly unplug yourself and STFU.
August 17th, 2010 at 7:04 am
Jim,
In 2007, a man named Dennis Paris was convicted on federal human trafficking charges in Connecticut. He had purchased two girls and sold them as prostitutes in The Hartford Advocate’s “Escort Services” section. These facts were proven by the FBI and the jury agreed. Paris got 30 years. Here’s where the story relates to you….
The Hartford Advocate is owned by The Hartford Courant newspaper, which has always been a proponent of Richard Blumenthal - endorsing many of his political campaigns.
The Hartford Advocate continues to run its “Escort Services” ads every week.
Richard Blumenthal has never taken any action against his friends at The Hartford Advocate of The Courant pertaining to these ads.
The Hartford Advocate is a free publication, available in hundreds of wire racks throughout greater Hartford - including one in the Attorney General’s office building.
Perhaps you would be coming under less scrutiny from AG Blumenthal if you reported the news in Hartford and endorsed political candidates.
All the best to you,
Allan
September 13th, 2010 at 6:51 am
Yeah, I think if we’re going to torch the First Amendment in a hysteria crusade reminiscent of the day care child abuse witch hunts of the 80s and 90s, we should at least be consistent and make sure that any publication that offers classified ads is equally harassed along with Craig’s List.
September 13th, 2010 at 7:27 am
Shame on you, Craig’s List. If it weren’t for you, prostitution would probably be a thing of the past, like polio and small pox. You mistakenly think that screening ads will solve the problem, but some ads are going to slip through which is basically the same as loading up all of our innocent adolescent daughters into box cars and shipping them off to the local gulag to work in sex slave concentration camps. How do you live with yourselves?
You’re trying to balance the free speech rights of American adults against the welfare of children (Children, for God sake!). How dare you. As Thomas Jefferson said, “When free speech is pitted against a crusade to prohibit women from immorally trading sex for material gain, free speech must give way.” If there is anything that modern day moral crusades have taught us, it’s that you can’t have freedom and still have a world safe for kids, so it’s time for all Americans to rein in their selfish worship of freedom and “think of the children!”
The time to act is now. Otherwise, before you know it, we will have to put up with stuff like cuss words and nudity on TV. And then, my friends, all will be lost. No child ever recovers from those things. Civilization will be over.