Craigslist censored: online sex ads.

• Author: Sullum, Jacob
• Position: Citings

A PHALANX of state attorneys general led by Connecticut's Richard Blumenthal, armed with nothing but sternly worded letters, indignant press releases, and a seemingly inexhaustible store of self-righteousness, is on the verge of shutting down the world's oldest profession once and for all. Or so they seem to think.

In September the online classified-ad giant Craigslist, after years of pressure from Blumenthal and other public officials offended by its "adult services" ads, eliminated that section of its website, replacing the hyperlink to it with a little black rectangle labeled "censored" The move came shortly after Blumenthal, in the midst of his U.S. Senate campaign, accused the company of profiting from slavery and child rape, both of which he routinely conflates with consensual sex between adults. The charge was especially audacious because Craigslist started charging for adult services ads at the urging of law enforcement officials who thought it would help slim the section and track down lawbreakers.

After Craigslist capitulated, the suggestive ads for masseuses, dancers, and escorts migrated to its competitors--most...