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Craigslist on the offensive

News Type: Event — Wed May 20, 2009 1:29 PM EDT

Craigslist has turned the tables on one of its critics, asking a federal judge to stop South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster from threatening the site with criminal charges if it doesn't remove sections of the site that allow for solicitation of prostitutes or porn postings.

Can Craigslist get a judge to agree? It remains on safe legal ground as its battles with state Attorneys General continue, thanks to provisions in the federal Communications Decency Act that shield the site from criminal liability. And it is touting its decision to drop its "erotic services" site to help combat crime.

But its legal protection hasn't stopped law enforcement officials like McMaster from their threats against the site. And McMaster isn't alone. Earlier today, announcing the indictment of seven people charged with running a prostitution ring on Craigslist, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo blasted the site, saying "until Craigslist gets serious about putting real protections in place, it will continue to be an environment where criminal operations thrive with impunity."

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{"commentId":7200961,"authorDomain":"adventurebooks"}

Robert Blevins - AB of Seattle

I drop the occasional advertisement on Craigslist. Harmless stuff...maybe some old camping gear, a collection of handmade birdhouses someone gave me, signed books by Harlan Ellison and Arthur C Clarke maybe.

Other ads I see there are not so harmless. Like the guys who offer trading what they have for guns. (Those are removed, but not until people have a good shot at viewing them) Scams are common...and prostitution. Porn galore. Non-monitored sections where you try to meet people - at your own risk.

I think Craigslist tries to stop some of these things, but their screening process on initial postings just isn't quick enough. They rely a lot on other users to report bad users. Sometimes it works.

Sometimes it doesn't.

I call CL the 'gladiators' arena of buy and sell'.

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