Craigslist shuts down personal ads after passage of sex trafficking bill

Craigslist has shut down its "personals" section and will no longer host classified ads for people searching for sex, love, friendship, or anything in between. The announcement, made Friday, comes in response to a new online sex trafficking measure passed by Congress that President Trump is expected to sign into law.

On Wednesday, lawmakers approved the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, which holds websites liable for hosting content that advertises sex or enables potentially illegal actions. Craigslist cited the measure in a statement explaining why it would no longer host personal ads: "Any tool or service can be misused. We can't take such risk without jeopardizing all our other services, so we are regretfully taking craigslist personals offline. Hopefully we can bring them back some day."

The FOSTA bill cracks down on online platforms that were previously absolved of liability for user-generated content, reports The Hill. Those who support the bill say it will help victims of sex trafficking prosecute companies that failed to protect them. Opponents say it's a slippery slope to censorship and will be challenging for small organizations to enforce.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

If you're feeling nostalgic, browse some of Craigslist's most wild personal listings here.