Censorship, Craigslist, and Prostitution

Giving in to pressure from 17 Attorneys General, Craigslist has recently censored it's "Adult Services" section.  The space previously occupied by the link now shows a blacked-out "censored".  Do these people really think that censoring a single part of Craigslist is going to make a difference?  These posts will simply jump categories -- I assume we'll start seeing prostitutes all over the "Casual Encounters" section if not the "Skilled Trade", "Therapeutic", "Creative", "Household", or "Pet" services sections.  After all, I can certainly imagine scenarios where prostitutes can be considered Skilled, Therapeutic, Creative, Household-related, or even Pets.  (OK - So may you have to use your imagination a bit for that last one..)

This move is a net loss for everyone.  1) Craigslist is no longer bringing in revenue from these ads to pay their highly-trained attorneys to screen the prostitutes' ads.  2) Due to the aforementioned lack of screening, pimps will be MORE likely to post ads that will lead to abuse and human trafficking.

Way to go, Attorneys General, for stepping in to wreck another great service which provides a means for people to connect with one another -- a service which was doing everything possible to police its service.  I suppose you think that guns independently murder people while the gun owners sleep soundly in the next room.  Uh huh.


We all agree that prostitution is bad.  However it has existed since the beginning of commerce and is unlikely to go away anytime soon.  Let's do things that make their lives easier and their jobs safer instead of moving backwards.