Sex marketplace Backpage.com seized by U.S. justice authorities: posting

[inanna]

Source: Reuters

April 6, 2018 / 3:55 PM / Updated 17 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. law enforcement agencies have seized the sex marketplace website Backpage.com as part of an enforcement action by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to a posting on its website on Friday.

The posting said the U.S. Justice Department would provide more information at 6 p.m. EDT. It said U.S. attorneys in Arizona and California, as well as the Justice Department’s section on child exploitation and obscenity and the California and Texas attorneys general had supported the work in shutting down the website.

Lawmakers and enforcement officials have been working to crack down on the site, the second largest classified ad service in the country after Craigslist that is used primarily to sell sex.

The U.S. Senate passed legislation last month making it easier for state prosecutors and sex-trafficking victims to sue social media networks, advertisers and others that fail to keep sex trafficking and other exploitative materials off their platforms.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-backpage-justice/sex-marketplace-backpage-com-seized-by-u-s-justice-authorities-posting-idUSKCN1HD2QP?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

[melman]

1. Wow

That is pretty crazy.

[asiliveandbreathe]

2. But, but - pootie thinks this is censorship...he doesn't like it when we cut off his

Russian bots....do you suppose we caught 'I'm again??

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. They'd better delete Trump's postings. NT

[lapfog_1]

4. In reality, this only puts sex workers at more risk

many will go back to having pimps and walking the streets.

The internet provided a way for women who wanted to be in control of who they interacted with and to be independent of pimps and life on the streets a way to make money on their own.

This will not stop sex trafficking of underage or foreign girls... and does absolutely nothing to stop sex tourism (if anything many "johns" like the Donal will increase their travel to places like Thailand and the Philippines).

Yes, underage girls or boys should not be advertised on the internet... they shouldn't be on the streets either.

And no person should be "forced" or "coerced" in any way to go into sex work (doesn't have to be prostitution, strippers and porn stars are sex workers too).

But closing down all of the internet "escort" sites is not the right answer.

[PSPS]

7. LOL

[obnoxiousdrunk]

8. That was funny ...

[melman]

9. Why so funny?

You do realize many sex workers agree with that view, don't you?

[lapfog_1]

16. not to mention a number of academic studies from universities

and unionized sex workers in San Francisco and many many others.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

15. You have nothing when you dismiss a carefully written well thought out post with a "LOL". . . . . nt

[Blue_Adept]

12. A lot of internet services have now blacklisted sex workers over the recent law change

And it's putting them into some precarious positions at best. Things that they could do safely are now suddenly illegal, such as use of skype, etc. Not a good situation.

[Wwcd]

5. K & R Thank you for posting

About time advertisers & social media networks are called out.
Human trafficking is another mob related money laundering international crime.

Like the modelling industry.

[Shipwack]

17. Did you forget the sarcasm tag?

Pushing sex workers back onto the street makes it -harder- to find human traffickers, and makes it harder to find and prosecute pimps and those involved in organized crime.

Sex workers are now discouraged from tipping off the police, and law enforcement officers can more easily exploit sex workers.

[inanna]

6. More from The Hill

27 mins ago

...

Much of Backpage's U.S. site appears to still be operational, though there are takedown notices on some regional pages. The Justice Department did not immediately respond when asked for comment.

...

A Senate panel last year accused the site of enabling sex trafficking after a lengthy investigation.

Their findings led to a controversial piece of legislation that would make it easier to target websites with legal action for content posted by third parties. The bill passed the House and Senate overwhelmingly this year and is awaiting President Trump's signature.

DEVELOPING

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/feds-apparently-seize-controversial-classified-ad-site-backpagecom/ar-AAvz0nq

[left-of-center2012]

10. What about consenting adults ...

I had a friend (50ish guy) in California, now deceased from a heart attack,
who would hook up with like minded adult guys for casual sex.

They "met" via Craigslist, which has now stopped 'personals' ads.

Not saying I approve or disapprove,
but it worked for them.

[inanna]

11. Human trafficking typically does not involve consent.

The snippets in the OP indicate this is primarily about sex trafficking - of both children and adults.

[left-of-center2012]

14. Correct

Guess my question addressed more "personal ads" on Craigslist
which are no longer available to consenting adults.

[melman]

21. Yeah well the snippets would say that wouldn't they

There's a reason the government frames it like that.

[Dopers_Greed]

13. Surprised that they let the site go on for as long as it did

[flibbitygiblets]

20. Same here. Despite knowing the potential for people to be victimized. About damned time.

[LeftInTX]

18. I saw a documentary about backdoor and sex trafficking of underage girls.

Parents worked for years to get it shut down.

Finally....

[Orange Free State]

19. Dang. And I was about to order a sample Sex Slave Contract off Backpage, too. N/T