Craigslist forced to crack down on prostitution ads !

[YouVantOption]

Craigslist To Begin Charging for SP Ads

Seems they had a little trouble with a few AGs down state-side. No doubt. The reviewers tasked with the Canadian cities clamp down pretty fast on explicit ads, but the U.S. ads are pretty out there. You can see a girl's tonsils from down below in some shots.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/technology/internet/07craigslist.html

 

[Doc Holliday]

There were prostitution ads on CL??

 

[Fred Flintstone]

Last time i checked we weren't part of the USA.......

 

[HaywoodJabloemy]

Well, at least they are kind of consistent in the U.S., even if it's consistently wrong. Everything in Canada seems to be arranged to let the police do anything they want.

"the deal will allow legitimate escort services to continue advertising" ...
"Police across the country have been arresting people for using websites like Craigslist to advertise... sexual services"

Does he think people are dumb enough to believe there are "legitimate" escort services that do not provide sexual services?

Like almost all articles on the subject, there's no questioning of the nonsensical b.s. from the police. Notice the immediate insinuations that all prostitution is trafficking of child sex slaves, with no acknowledgement that consenting adults exist.

 

[drinkher]

i wonder how many human trafficking and child prostituion rings they have busted through craigslist

 

[YouVantOption]

Like almost all articles on the subject, there's no questioning of the nonsensical b.s. from the police. Notice the immediate insinuations that all prostitution is trafficking of child sex slaves, with no acknowledgement that consenting adults exist.

First off, there were no quotes in that piece from 'the police'.
Secondly, precisely what 'bullshit' do you see in there worthy of questioning?
Thirdly, there were no insinuations that all prostitution is "trafficking of child sex slaves".

Whether or not prostitution is between consenting adults is illegal is irrelevant to the discussion, beside which I'd say that CL tacitly acknowledges that legitimate agencies won't have a problem with this, any more so than they would paying for the advertising services of MERB. Requiring a credit card and a small payment is hardly a high bar.

 

[eastender]

Overlooked Point

Whether or not prostitution is between consenting adults is illegal is irrelevant to the discussion, beside which I'd say that CL tacitly acknowledges that legitimate agencies won't have a problem with this, any more so than they would paying for the advertising services of MERB. Requiring a credit card and a small payment is hardly a high bar.

So far in this discussion a very important point has been overlooked - the taxation issue - paying income tax on monies generated. The police or local issues are not that relevent. The IRS issue is. Remember that tax evasion is what brought down Al Capone and it gets the feds involved in the USA.

Requiring a credit card creates a paper trail and a small payment is the starting point for a model that pins down revenues to expenses.

That legitimate agencies with proper accounting and tax reporting would not have a problem under such circumstances is rather obvious - sun rises in the east type statement. Agencies or indies that are not registered businesses with appropriate paperwork are the obvious target.

 

[YouVantOption]

So far in this discussion a very important point has been overlooked - the taxation issue - paying income tax on monies generated. The police or local issues are not that relevent. The IRS issue is. Remember that tax evasion is what brought down Al Capone and it gets the feds involved in the USA.

Requiring a credit card creates a paper trail and a small payment is the starting point for a model that pins down revenues to expenses.

That legitimate agencies with proper accounting and tax reporting would not have a problem under such circumstances is rather obvious - sun rises in the east type statement. Agencies or indies that are not registered businesses with appropriate paperwork are the obvious target.

I doubt it. Were they that concerned, they would be going after all the escort review boards and agency amalgam portals. Not so hard to skim the Yellow pages and find some of the big-money agencies and start there.

Besides which, with the proliferation of VISA gift card, you can have an anonymous payment mechanism for CL at any gas station.

 

[sexxxymtl]

With this whole thing on CL, I don't know which direction to take.... I just got an email from CL stating that if I would like to promote on there site, to pay 50 cents/ad and I can do so.... When you google this whole CL situation, it states that CL has agreed to turn over an information if they are requested to do so.... That they will not wait until they are court ordered to do so.... So if that's the case, even though we are in CDN and don't have that problem, wouldn't that be a way of them keeping track of us and gaining there intel..... Also, someone once responded to an add that I put up (not on CL) and well.... He then emailed the free post classified that a prostitue is now roaming the boards... End result, I'm unable to post any ads now at all.... And he posted it up to so that other people would be warned... Either way... we as SP have to always be cautious of this... And if we think something is messed up, it's your call to go through or walk... They can suspect all they want, we just can't let them see us in the act...

PS- Doc just had to say.... You gave me a good laugh with your 1st comment!!!! Thanks

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Just for giggles, I took a look at the Erotic services listing in Burlington (VT). Where there had been 3-5 postings per day over the last month, there has been only 1 in the last two.

Must confess, as well, that a few looked quite interesting. I wonder if anyone has tried them and wonder, as well, how trustworthy they are.