This happened as of a few days ago and it was exactly the same for those ads in my city. Th fact that those were there and the personals gone was the most perplexing thing but, of course, they got actual revenue from the “therapeutic” section.
The personals are still up for other countries. I don’t understand that.
Other countries aren’t covered by US Federal law.
But Craigslist could still be held responsible for that, couldn’t they? If not, then supposed US-based human traffickers could just put ads in the Canadian part of Craigslist.
Backpage CEO agrees to plead guilty.
"Carl Ferrer, the chief executive officer of Backpage.com whose name was conspicuously absent from an indictment of seven other Backpage officials unsealed Monday, has pleaded guilty in state courts in California and Texas and federal court in Arizona to charges of money laundering and conspiracy to facilitate prostitution. In addition, he agreed to testify against the men who co-founded Backpage with him, Michael Lacey and James Larkin, who remained in jail Thursday in Arizona on facilitating prostitution charges.
Backpage, in addition to hosting thinly veiled ads for prostitution since 2004, was accused of hosting child sex trafficking ads on its site and even assisting advertisers in wording their copy so they didn’t overtly declare that sex was for sale, federal investigators allege. In a remarkable three-paragraph admission in his federal plea agreement, Ferrer wrote that “I conspired with other Backpage principals…to find ways to knowingly facilitate the state-law prostitution crimes being committed by Backpage’s customers.”"
Interesting question. If the, uh, services were offered to Canadians in Canada on a website serving Canada, while owned by a US company, I’m not sure how the law would treat that. But if it were offered to people in the U.S. on a website generally serving Canada, I’m pretty sure that would be covered by this law (notwithstanding that craigslist would have to also be found to be violating the other elements of the law).
That’s because the new law states, “Whoever, using a facility or means of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, owns, manages, or operates an interactive computer service … with the intent to promote or facilitate the prostitution of another person shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both.” That’s because a prostitute advertising in Canada to perform services in the U.S. would certainly be affecting foreign commerce.
Well that is my question. The personals are still up for other countries. I, being in America, can go to the Toronto section and advertise or solicit services. Would Craigslist still be responsible for that? If so, then I don’t understand how simply removing the American city portion helps or protects them.