Craigslist Struggles Over Erotic Services Ads

Classified site Craigslist is talking to attorneys general from several states over its Erotic Services ads.

For the most part, Craigslist doesn’t charge for ads posted on its classifieds site. There is one exception, however, and that’s its listing for Erotic Services. There, listers not only have to pay, but also give credit card and phone details.

But in the wake of bad publicity and the case of Boston’s so-called Craigslist killer, the site is facing a wave of bad publicity over that particular section, which one official has dubbed the “single largest source of prostitution” in the US. In South Carolina, the attorney general gave Craigslist a 10-day deadline to remove all sex-related posts from sites covering the state.

All this has led to Craigslist chief executive Jim Buckmaster sitting down with attorneys general from a number of states to discuss the situation and try to broker a deal. The site called the talks “cordial and productive,” and in a statement wrote:

“We share the AG’s interest in minimizing misuse of Craigslist. We’re optimistic this goal can be reached while preserving all beneficial aspects of a site relied upon by tens of millions of Americans, and without compromising the quintessentially American values of free speech embodied in our Constitution.”