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Craigslist or crime list?
by Nigel Roberts
Craigslist-related crimes have become so commonplace that the Internet abounds with crime stories from people answering ads who were robbed, bought stolen item or victimized in some other way.
Craigslist is a San Francisco-based online service that publishes a range of classified ads (from jobs and internships to advice and erotic personals). Since coming online in 1995, it has become a truly global network. It receives more than 9 billion page views each month and lists ads in more than 450 cities throughout the world.
Already under a storm of criticism from law enforcement agencies for failing to police its ads, Craigslist now faces a federal lawsuit from an Illinois sheriff who accuses the online classified ad service of knowingly promoting prostitution.
The sheriff wants Craigslist to eliminate its erotic services section. He called Craigslist “the single largest source of prostitution in the nation.” Furthermore, he pointed out that federal agents have discovered almost 3,000 child prostitution ads posted on Craigslist.
A statement from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said: “The criminals engaged in the sexual trafficking of children no longer parade them on the streets of America’s cities. Today, they market them via the Internet, enabling customers to shop for a child from the privacy of their own homes or hotel rooms.”
Attorney General Thurbert Baker joined with attorneys general from 42 other states in November to pressure Craigslist to deter and crack down on inappropriate content and illegal activity in its erotic services section.
Under the agreement, which some accuse the company of failing to uphold, Craigslist must require those posting erotic services ads to give a working phone number and pay a fee with a valid credit card. Authorities believe this would deter illegal postings and assist law enforcement in tracing violators.
“I have made protecting our children from predators and unsafe content on the Internet one of the priorities of my administration, and I will continue to look for additional safeguards to protect our kids,” Baker stated.
Craigslist crimes have also touched DeKalb residents. The DeKalb County Police Department announced earlier this month that they have been investigating 13 cases this year involving criminals who posted items (mainly iPhones and Sony game systems) for sale on Craigslist and then robbed purchasers—sometimes at gunpoint—when they met to complete the sale.
But many legal experts doubt that the courts will find Craigslist materially responsible for illegal activities stemming from its Web site. They point to an effort in 2006 to hold Craigslist responsible for violating federal housing anti-discrimination laws. Civil rights lawyers sued the company over housing ads posted on the Web site that made it clear that potential tenants of a certain race, religion or sexual orientation should not apply.
According to the suit, Craigslist violated federal laws by posting the ads. But Internet giants—AOL, Google and others—sided with Craigslist in the suit. Ultimately, the company emerged victorious because of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which the courts interpreted to clear Craigslist because it’s not responsible for the postings of third parties.
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