Craigslist shuts down personal ads after passage of sex trafficking bill

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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.

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

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Summer Meza, The Week US

Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.