Did you hear the news? Craigslist is completely broken now, unless you use it for things like “finding apartments” or “selling stolen goods.” Why? The site has signed a deal with 40 state attorneys general to fight prostitution. From now on, anyone who wants to post an ad on the Erotic Services part of the site will be required to provide a telephone number and a valid credit card, which will then be charged for the posting of the ad.
What is the world coming to when a person can’t advertise their talents for the low, low price of 75 roses?
Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster said that the new requirements shouldn’t be a problem for “legitimate businesses.”
The official justification for all of this is to help eliminate human trafficking, especially that which targets children. That’s impossible to argue against, yes, but think of the non-trafficked individuals that now have to jump through even more hoops to do business.
The end of an era.
Damn you, craigslist.
LOL….
I don’t get it {seesmic_video:{”url_thumbnail”:{”value”:”http://t.seesmic.com/thumbnail/p7nZMpHGVa_th1.jpg”}”title”:{”value”:”I don’t get it ”}”videoUri”:{”value”:”http://www.seesmic.com/video/LMyDOp12LG”}}}
You’re all kinds of retarded. You’ve got more kinds of retarded than Ben & Jerrys has flavors of ice cream.
guy needs his own show.:)
sounds like a ploy so craiglized duznt look like an anything goes hohouse. after overdosing everybody with the garbage for 13 years. parties over at CL. at least there will always be myspac.
Oh good, just in time! We all definitely needed even more religion based law, oh, ahem, I mean law enforcement resources to prevent sex for cash between consenting adults.
Next up: they’ll be deciding if the man paying for a very expensive dinner on a date that ends in sex qualifies as “prostitution” although no cash is involved. Hmmm… a moral quandary indeed.
Well at least Craig can make money off this by charging!
BTW, we ran a prostitution poll of over 4000 people on AskDanAndJennifer.com – check it out and take the poll here.
The overwhelming majority agrees that making prostitution should be legal, as making illegal is counterproductive and actually causes a lot more harm than good.
Most of the problems attributed to prostitution are actually caused directly by this industry being driven to a black market model by these very laws making it illegal, and thus providing no government oversight – which is what the industry actually needs most.
Have an awesome day!
Dan
Have you considered running a grammar poll?
good one ! so no more free normal nude photo on weekend shooooo
Ha, that’s what I get for changing the structure of my comment halfway through. No matter, email and web comments are fair game for poetic license. Prefect grammar and fully coherent thoughts are SO 1900’s. :-)
Aren’t they technically pimps now?
i love when Techcrunch waits for the Chronicle to get their information. Remember when TC was on the cutting edge?
@Darryl You’re an idiot.
And you are commenting on an idiot… what does that make you?
… an idiot enforcer.
really prepaid VISA and really they never have phones before….
all it will mean is that the dross is eliminated… remove spam is a good thing !
regards
John Jones
http://www.johnjones.me.uk
Here’s a novel idea: how about JUST “cracking down on human trafficking and child trafficking”? I think everyone can agree on that, and you don’t suddenly oppress millions of consenting adults with a bogus bill like this.
This is like the “pork” they hide in congressional bills, only worse because it blatantly oppresses millions of consenting adults.
Seriously, this isn’t the middle ages, the church shouldn’t be dictating our laws anymore.
Have an awesome day!
Dan
@ Dan
You know nothing of the term consenting adults. More than 80% of adults in the prostitution “business” desperately want to get out. They’re paralyzed by brutally violent pimps and deadly addictions to heroin, crack, meth, etc.
They don’t do this because its good money or its fun. Its addiction and fear. Not to mention that a huge percentage of these women are forced into this lifestyle as minors.
It has nothing to do with religion. It about time we put an end to forced sexual servitude of women and children. Its barbaric and far from consensual.
Actually the term consenting adults is quite self explanatory, pretty hard to “know nothing about”. :-) To give you a simple example: if you personally choose to have sex with a woman and offer her money for it, you can be arrested for prostitution.
And that’s asinine and serves no useful purpose. Think for yourself: it makes no sense. There is nothing in the world wrong with consenting adults choosing to exchange money, expensive gifts, expensive dinners, etc. for sex, conversation, companionship, a game of tennis, whatever.
However, you do have a great point. Your arguments are actually a perfect example of the problems this type of ignorant government regulation leads to. Where an industry like this is (which has always been and will always be around) is pushed underground and then run by organized (or disorganized) crime, you will have human trafficking, violence, oppression, fear.
The role of government in an evolved society is in large part to protect the freedoms and safety of people from others who would violate their rights and do them harm, not to push various pseudo-moralistic preferences which are usually traceable to one group or another’s religious beliefs.
To follow your reasoning, the prostitution industry is a perfect candidate for the government to actually do it’s job of protecting people and inspect and regulate instead of pushing a pseudo-moralistic agenda. Heck, tax it too; that seems to give lots of people a warm fuzzy.
As in Nevada and various countries worldwide (where prostitution is legal), any industry can be made safe for sellers and buyers when government regulation pushes out the crime gangs controlling it. It really is that simple.
And just think, all the law enforcement resources blatantly wasted today trying to catch people paying for sex could be redirected to useful purposes, like, say, actually protecting people from criminals who would do them wrong.
Have an awesome day!
Dan
This is ridiculous.
No one is paralyzed you fool.
I do it! and its easy…
guess what? No drugs, never in my life, from the mid-west even, I do have a pimp and I do not want to get out of the business. Please.
whoops, do NOT have a pimp lol
Let me get this straight, you are a mid-western call-girl, and you read crunchgear?
Something doesn’t seem right about that o_O
“Let me get this straight, you are a mid-western call-girl, and you read crunchgear? Something doesn’t seem right about that o_O”
Definitely progress here! Seems we’re slowly challenging those misconceptions. In fact, studies are even beginning to show that call girls are people too. Really, it’s been scientifically proven. And, wait for it… so are hairdressers. And plumbers. And dentists. And even rock musicians. It just goes on and on… :-)
Have an awesome day!
Dan
Prepaid phones and throw away Visa cards should easily dodge these restrictions. Maybe this law is the first step in legalizing prostitution. Craigslist gets paid for pimping out the girls and the local police forces will waste our tax dollars setting up stings.
I wonder if Craigslist will take PayPal or Google Checkout?
ok so let’s say i decide to use a pre-paid phone registered to a bogus name can i still use a disposible visa to post on cl? with a bogus address?
Watch traffic to Craiglist plummet by two thirds now!
While Craig’s List is definitely a major resource for escorts to advertise their services, there are a number of other sites out there that provide free adverting to escorts. The only thing that will happen if the government sinks its teeth into Craig’s List is that sexual providers and those that use their services will move increasingly to other sites that provide something similar. http://www.naughtyreviews.com/, http://www.cityvibe.com/, or mpreviews.com, just to name some of the better known alternatives out there…These sites allow erotic providers to post ads for free and for “customers” to contact them directly. Prostitution is the oldest profession because there has always been, and there always will be, a demand for it. The internet simply provides too many ways for prostitutes to stay in business and these latest attempts to thwart it will simply cause some movement in traffic from mega-giant Craigslist to other sites…
I never knew Craigslist allowed erotic ads
So they are kind of like an online pimp now? :)
@Tom H
over 95% of people that quote stats are making them up 87% of the time. What’s even more startling is the 73.8% of them believe that the stats they are quoting are 100% accurate. 32% of the time I just ignore them, of the ones I don’t ignore, 99.999% get a response like this.
LOL! 100% funny.
I seriously doubt anyone can show reliable stats on an industry that’s over 90% black market (made up stat, lol). :-)
Dan
And so the only people running erotic ads will be the cops posing as prostitutes. Wonder if they’ll have to pay?
lol yeah, they’ll pay for it.. with our taxes.
good one
can they use a prepaid credit card
I’m all for safe, consensual sex work and I imagine that the folks at Craigslist are too. After all, they allowed erotic services ads in the first place.
So I don’t think they would have implemented this unless their attorneys felt that the states had a winnable case. What would have happened if it had gone to trial and Craigslist lost? If you think this sucks, imagine if Craigslist was branded in the mainstream media as enabling human trafficking and exploitation of children.
I’m disappointed that it has to be like this and I don’t like the precedent it sets. But given the circumstances, it’s probably in the best interests of any Craigslist user who isn’t posting or responding to erotic services ads. I imagine that’s most of us.
they’ll just post in the personals section like they always have done.
Craigslist is completely ridiculous lately… what happened to free, open ads / listings?
They make you jump through hoops for everything… they do it to ‘fight spam’, but spam is in the eye of the beholder…
CL has been dying as of late.
Why not get rid of it from there site all together. Why does a person need to meet someone line.
Its illegail in some states plain and simple if you dont like the law either fight to change it or shut up and deal with it not b***h and moan about it and do nothing to try and change it.
I have no problem with people doing what they do but I follow the law if its illegal in a place go to the place where its not so your not breaking any law.
Or try change the law if you think its unjust not just sit back and do nothing; thats mean going to your city/county/province/state or country not just typing on the net what you think but actually doing something where the people incharge can see that you have an opinon about this issue and the internet is not the place unless your emailing your city/county/province/state or country about the issue.
Joseph Morin said, “Watch traffic to Craiglist plummet by two thirds now!”
Traffic will plummet even more because 95% of the job ads on Craigslist are spam. Such a shame – it’s being overrun with get rich quick schemes and identity theft scams.
What a joke no more freedom,go chase drug dealers and leave the woman alone.
Let’s just say CLASS ACTION! DISCRIMINATION is against the law! Not all dancers, lonely hearts, dominatrix, or people who post are law breaking citizens! It’s supposed to be a free site, why pick on the erotic section when there are other documented crimes being committed on CL!
I have a friend who was looking for love on the personal section, only to find out weeks later on the news, this guy who had been communicating with her was a rapist who had just been jailed! Maybe craigslist should just close down altogether!
A rapists who searches or post ads in the personal section or of needing housekeepers or babysitting services. Or other criminals who try to get peoples personal information via emails or money on high ticket items! And those Nigerian criminals who flood CL with phony ads with criminal activity!! Not only that, Craigslist officially said in a statement, they are collecting credit card info for the sole reason to assist the law enforcement! What about peoples right to privacy!
Plus, the also made the statement they are going to donate the monies from the erotic section to charity??! What do you think the religious leaders or charities or right wing citizens are going to think about that???
great work charles.
why not get a phone number and cred info for everyone who uses CL. all in the name of public safety. duh! :)
lol…………..
http://vidsonly.blogspot.com
CL has always prohibited, through its TOS, sales of firearms, ammunition, and gun parts (barrels etc.) even though in most states such private, face-to-face transactions are perfectly LEGAL, while winking at prostitution ads (in most states and locales, prostitution is ILLEGAL). I am not here to debate whether one or the other should be legal or illegal; personally I think they both should be legal, but that’s just my libertarianism poking through. But, given the proven ability of community-based monitoring and flagging to remove such CL-prohibited items as firearms, I think the allowance and de-facto encouragement of such ads on CL (just the “erotic services” category itself is a head-scratcher, since what would that be besides prostitution? It’s listed under the “services”, i.e. “business” section…) is a flagrant flouting of the law in most locales.
Backpage.com is the next best alternative to craigslist. Have been using it for months already.
who cares? have a wank if you’re that bothered Nick
Prostitution is legal in Rhode Island, how will they go after people advertising for a legal activity?
Check out”happy endings” a doc film on Asian massage parlors in RI where prostitution is legal. Check the blog and youtube channel and leave comments. Sign up on the website to get updates on the release.
http://www.happyendingsdoc.com
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http://www.youtube.com/happyendingsdoc
http://www.myspace.com/happyendingsdoc
What is interesting is the RI Attorney general signed the agrement and prostitution is legal in RI, and other states where prostitution is illegal didn’t sign the agreement.
screw you craigslist, but it’s ok, I’ll just go to adultsonlylist.com! it’s way better anyway
No strings attached! It’s free to post and it’s sooo easy!
Im an escort and i have no problem paying 5 dlls fee for an ad I also think is a great idea to donate 100% of those fees to charities, I mean the thought of being able to help others maybe starving children, abused women, the homeless or even millions of homeless pets across country ! This is great we could all make a BIG difference I love animals and makes me sad knowing theres so many of them in need, what really bothers me is that CL makes it clear that they will release our info. to the cops IF required! we strugle as it is with many other problems, This is giving me a headache not sure what to do.Iv been aplying for jobs at grocery stores with no success, if they could just charge a feee with-out no threats This world will be a better place for so many others when I think about the thousands that will go for charities.
These are hard times. Hard economic times. Everyone is being affected and everyone is feeling the squeeze. From the financial bailout to the soon-to-be auto bailout, the government seems willing to be accommodating and lend a helping hand. To everyone, that is, except those devoted providers who dedicate their life to making Mr. Happy…well….happy.
Recently, craigslist restricted the posting of erotic ads on their site by starting a per post charge. Google, only a month earlier, restricted escort ads. Can you feel the economic ripple? Where will these girls turn now that their ads are prematurely evacuated? Uncle Sam has gotten into bed with a lot of people in the past. Maybe it’s time he got into bed with these flexible working girls and gave them the bailout they need.
So while these rich CEO’s are getting multiple shots, more and more escorts aren’t getting the chance to give them. I frankly don’t understand the morality of the government helping CEOs who mismanaged and perhaps pilfered from their own companies (actually from their shareholders) versus cracking down on the oldest and frankly a perfectly reputable trade. These businesswomen definitely have more business sense.
Can someone explain to me why the government should support those companies that have screwed up? At least with a provider, I’m getting screwed because I want to be.
Fortunately, sites exist to help this industry under siege. http://www.NaughtyReviews.com, http://www.CityVibe.com, http://www.BigDoggie.net and http://www.USASexguide.com.
I’m glad CL is charging for ads. Escorting is the same as PROSTITUTION. These escorts claim that the guy is “paying for the escort’s time”, but we all know damn well that the guy is expecting sex! And more times than many, they guy gets SEX. Escorts have sex for money, they are dirty whores that are spreading STDs throughout our society, and this should be ILLEGAL! Anything that can keep whores from posting ads on our community boards the better. I mean come on…when a girl post an ad of her butt naked, legs spread, talking about “$200 per hour for my time only”, do you think that guys will pay just to take her to dinner? LOL, naw! You whores need to be all locked up! Stop tainting our community! Get a real job and stop letting any old fat nasty man up in your pussy for money! Ya’ll make me sick! DOWN WITH HOOKERS!
I mean come on…when a girl post an ad of her butt naked, legs spread, talking about “$200 per hour for my time only”, do you think that guys will pay just to take her to dinner? LOL, naw! You whores need to be all locked up! Stop tainting our community! Get a real job and stop letting any old fat nasty man up in your pussy for money! Ya’ll make me sick! DOWN WITH HOOKERS!
I’m glad CL is charging for ads. Escorting is the same as PROSTITUTION. These escorts claim that the guy is “paying for the escort’s time”, but we all know damn well that the guy is expecting sex! And more times than many, they guy gets SEX. Escorts have sex for money, they are dirty whores that are spreading STDs throughout our society, and this should be ILLEGAL! Anything that can keep whores from posting ads on our community boards the better.
These “ads” will just get moved to other areas of the site, which was the whole reason for making a erotic services section so the w4m dating are didnt get clogged up.
There is probably at least the same amount if not more of sexual abuse towards minors in the Catholic Church then craigslist…why not shut them down or make them pay taxes?
CL site is still great…. but if you want the site that gives you pretty much the same usability of cl withe free erotic ad posting , then here they are . http://www.dontlookanyfurther.com (national) http://www.sfbaylist.com (san fran bay area) and http://www.ielistings.com (inland empire) . They are all free and get a good amount of traffic.
DontLookAnyFurther.com
They are doing what they can to stop those kind of people on Craigslist, but it won’t have any impact. It makes it harder for legit people and the non-legit ones always find a loop hole.
Craigslist Proxies
yea close down the business,I was a victim of these con gals.I really wanted to try anal but my gal couldn’t let me, so there is always plan B,that’s how I found myself try’n these con gals.She took my money but didn’t get the service..u know am cute,clean,attitude free,with fairly average member(not to scare her) but still she gave all fake reasons like,I did not carry condoms & or lubricants & yet I want to screww her behind ;n way it was a 15 min so the next thing she told my time is up!!
I WIll never ever ever ever..eeeevvveerr ev..er try these so called providers,I left a very bitter man..the devil is a liar I won’t spent a dime on these gals,they should go work or make a living in ann honest way just like everybody else..
I heard that they will put the price on the ERS up also?
I have the same.,
The party for erotic massage, erotic female providers all have gone here http://mpreviews.com and now http://mperotica.com
So what has really changed at least they do not charge $10 per ad then flagg you seconds later.
Yea craigslist is just goin down in my rankings