WISCONSIN, 42 OTHER STATES ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT WITH CRAIGSLIST, NCMEC TO CRACK DOWN ON EROTIC SERVICES AD CONTENT
 

MADISON - Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen today announced that he and 42 other states have reached an agreement with Craigslist under which the online classified ad website will take action to deter and crack down on inappropriate content and illegal activity in its erotic services section. This effort was led by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. Also joining in this agreement is the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Under the agreement, Craigslist will require that posters of erotic services ads give a working phone number and pay a fee with a valid credit card. The site will provide the resulting information in response to law enforcement subpoenas. All proceeds from erotic services ads will be donated to charity.

The fee and phone requirements should significantly reduce the number of erotic services posts for illegal activity and provide law enforcement with a road map to prosecute violations of law.

Craigslist has also committed to sue 14 software and Internet companies that for a fee help erotic service ad posters circumvent the website's defenses against inappropriate content and illegal activity. The site will provide the attorneys general with information about those businesses for possible civil and criminal prosecution.

In addition, Craigslist will deploy search technology that it developed to assist the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and law enforcement agencies in identifying missing persons, children and victims of human trafficking. It will also explore technology to block inappropriate image uploads and better filter for code words and euphemisms for illegal activity.

"Craigslist is serious about keeping illegal and inappropriate content off its site," said Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. "Our role in law enforcement is to protect victims and those who could become victims by enforcing the law. This agreement benefits Craigslist, law enforcement, but most importantly, it helps protect those most vulnerable to online predators."

Other steps by Craigslist to crack down on erotic services ad contact include

• Attach "tags" to the erotic services section that assist parental screening software
• Employ "digital tagging" to identify and eliminate inappropriate content. Users flag ads that violate Craigslist's terms to service, which include prohibitions on pornography and criminal activity. Ads that reach a certain threshold of "flags" will be automatically eliminated.
• Meet on a regular basis with the attorneys general to discuss additional ways to fight inappropriate content and making the site safer.

A copy of the agreement is available below: