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Backpage Kicks Out the Hookers (1 Viewer)

Baloney Sandwich

Baloney Sandwich

Footballguy
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/backpage-pulls-adult-ads-blames-censorship-after-report-sex-trafficking-n705056


Backpage Pulls Adult Ads, Blames 'Censorship' After Report on Sex Trafficking, Prostitution





Backpage, one of the world's largest classified web sites, shut down its adult ad section for U.S. users Monday after a damning Senate report accused it of masking criminal activity including child sex trafficking and prostitution.

The Texas-based web portal posted a red banner headline over its adult listings with the word "CENSORED," adding in a statement that it had removed the section "as the direct result of unconstitutional government censorship."

It follows efforts by government officials to close a service they contend promotes prostitution and human trafficking.

The bipartisan Senate Investigations Subcommittee report, which was published late Monday, said Backpage has "knowingly concealed evidence of criminality by systematically editing its adult ads" for up to a decade.

It said executives instructed moderators to edit the text of ads "to conceal the true nature of the underlying transaction" by filtering out terms including "lolita," "teenage," "rape," "young," "amber alert," "little girl," "teen," "fresh," "innocent," and "school girl."

It also accused Backpage of often refusing to act swiftly in response to complaints about particular underage users, "preferring in some cases to interpret these complaints as the tactics of a competing escort."

"Backpage knows that it facilitates prostitution and child sex trafficking," the report said.

In its statement, the website said government tactics "including pressuring credit card companies to cease doing business with Backpage" left it with "no other choice but to remove the content in the United States."

"This will not end the fight for online freedom of speech. Backpage.com will continue to pursue its efforts in court to vindicate its First Amendment rights and those of other online platforms for third party expression," it said.

Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) later denied the report was an attempt to curb internet freedoms. "Backpage's response wasn't to deny what we said. It was to shut down their site. That's not 'censorship' — it's validation of our findings," they said in a statement, according to Reuters.

Carl Ferrer, the CEO of the portal was arrested in Texas in October on allegations of sex trafficking and pimping involving underage victims. Court documents allege the site knowingly took money from underage prostitutes




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This is actually a shame for two reasons:

1) Consenting adults should be able to do whatever they want if no one is getting hurt.

2) Cases where there wasn't consent, like trafficking and underage people... Backpage actually has a strong history of helping law enforcement catch these people.  Whatever the new platform is that will replace it will probably be offshore and will likely be of no assistance to law enforcement.

Down with the morality police imo.

 
(HULK) said:
This is actually a shame for two reasons:

1) Consenting adults should be able to do whatever they want if no one is getting hurt.

2) Cases where there wasn't consent, like trafficking and underage people... Backpage actually has a strong history of helping law enforcement catch these people.  Whatever the new platform is that will replace it will probably be offshore and will likely be of no assistance to law enforcement.

Down with the morality police imo.
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I guess the one bright spot might be that if it is tougher to get the word out it might drive down prices for consumers

 
I am sure this will be a total blow to hookers and they will all just lay down and take it without any possible other option open to them.

Hooray prostition has been stopped. Thanks Obama.

 
(HULK) said:
This is actually a shame for two reasons:

1) Consenting adults should be able to do whatever they want if no one is getting hurt.

Down with the morality police imo.
Click to expand...


That's the problem.  Most prostitutes aren't really "consenting".  90% have pimps that are "forcing" them into this.  It is trafficking, just not the duct tape, Liam Neeson trafficking we think of.

 
(HULK) said:
This is actually a shame for two reasons:

1) Consenting adults should be able to do whatever they want if no one is getting hurt.

2) Cases where there wasn't consent, like trafficking and underage people... Backpage actually has a strong history of helping law enforcement catch these people.  Whatever the new platform is that will replace it will probably be offshore and will likely be of no assistance to law enforcement.

Down with the morality police imo.
Click to expand...
Sex ad revelations put Backpage back in congressional crosshairs

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/07/11/sex-ad-revelations-put-backpage-back-in-congressional-crosshairs.html

A shocking new report says controversial classifieds site Backpage.com hired a Philippines contractor to lure customers seeking sex – indicating the company solicited and created sex ads, despite years of claims in court and to Congress that it played no role in ad content.

The new trove of information – which includes emails, spreadsheets, audio files and employee manuals – from Backpage.com were revealed in an unrelated legal case and provided to The Washington Post.

“This new evidence further demonstrates that Backpage has been deeply complicit in online sex trafficking,” Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, told Fox News in a written statement. “It’s why we need bipartisan legislation to address this type of online exploitation and ensure we are doing everything possible to save vulnerable women and young girls.”

The senator’s office indicated it would introduce such legislation on the issue soon.

Senate lawmakers have been investigating claims of underage trafficking by Backpage for years.

The online classified ad service operates in 97 countries. The site, similar to Craigslist.org, allows users to buy and sell items as well as “adult services.”

In January, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released a report claiming that Backpage knowingly facilitated underage trafficking by actively editing ads in its “adult services” section.

In January, Portman claimed the site carefully edited words like “Lolita,” “rape,” “little girl” and “Amber Alert” to skirt the law. Portman said the company ran sanitized versions knowing that young girls were being sold for sex. The investigation also revealed that Backpage tried to cover up its actions.

Portman’s Democratic counterpart, Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, also claimed the company coached its advertisers.

McCaskill’s office told Fox News she is working closely with Portman to “ensure that everything we learned in the subcommittee’s investigation can be shared with law enforcement officials to better equip them to hold Backpage accountable.”

According to the new documents, workers in a Philippine call center combed the Internet for newly listed sex ads, contacted the people who posted them and offered them space on Backpage.com.

Workers also created fake ads on competitors’ websites, posting lascivious listings for “fresh young sweet simple girl” or “Little Angel Seeks Daddy” with pictures of scantily clad women posing provocatively. Once a customer showed interest, an email directed that person to Backpage.com, where he or she would find the actual offer.

The new information flies in the face of repeated denials by the Dallas-based company that it facilitated prostitution and child sex trafficking. The company has insisted it’s merely a passive carrier of “third-party content” and doesn’t control it.

The company, though, announced in January it was discontinuing its “adult services” page though similar ads still appear in its “dating” category. While most of the ads on the site are free, those in the dating section cost $3 or more.

According to the Senate report, 93 percent of Backpage’s ad revenue in 2011 stemmed from its adult section. The company grossed $135 million in 2014, with projected revenue of $250 million by 2019.

But the new information could be what it takes to get Backpage to stop hosting the sex-based ads.

The effort to go after Backpage has also evolved on the state level.

In June, Missouri filed a lawsuit to try and force the company to turn over documents that the state claims helps traffickers skirt prosecution. Texas and California have also gone after CEO Carl Ferrer, charging him with felony pimping and money laundering.  

The National Association of Attorneys General has identified Backpage as a “hub” of human trafficking.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children claims 73 percent of the 10,000 child sex trafficking reports it receives involve ads on Backpage.

Calls to Backpage for comment were not immediately returned.

 
Hov34 said:
That's the problem.  Most prostitutes aren't really "consenting".  90% have pimps that are "forcing" them into this.  It is trafficking, just not the duct tape, Liam Neeson trafficking we think of.
Click to expand...
What is that 90% statistic based upon?  Nothing I'd guess.  If you had said 9% I might have agreed.

 
(HULK) said:
What is that 90% statistic based upon?  Nothing I'd guess.  If you had said 9% I might have agreed.
Click to expand...
Yeah, 90% seems ridiculously high.

I would guess that there are a lot of independent women who are doing it solely to support a drug habit.

 
Tom Servo said:
91% of hookers being "freelance" is a bigger crock of :bs:  

Per this website, 90 percent of all prostitutes are dependent on a pimp.
Click to expand...
That's global and not US.

ETA: That study estimates 42 million prostitutes worldwide but only 1-2 million in the US.  My 9% thought was directed at the US alone.  I'm not in a position to vote on laws in other countries.  Given the backwards treatment of women in plenty of the rest of the world, I'm not surprised if pimpin is still a thing in many other countries.

As for the US, pimps are long gone man.  The internet killed them off.  Pimps existed mainly in a streetwalker environment.  Nowadays all a girl needs is a cell phone and a hotel room.  She doesn't need a pimp.  That doesn't mean that they have totally died off, that there aren't people and groups exploiting some women.  I'm sure that happens.  But nowadays that is no longer the rule, it is the exception. 

///

Another note, I caught up on the latest developments with the Backpage story and I take back what I said, they're clearly guilty.  Not sure if it was the whole organization or just a few folks, but they did plenty of stuff they shouldn't have.

Still fully support full legalization.  This would give those who are exploited and those who are raped by clients a legal recourse to protect themselves.  It would also give clients more safety (if you rob a john, it's not like he's going to report it to the police imo).  To be frank, the fact that is illegal is what is sinful.  It is blatantly obvious that the market will exist no matter the criminal penalties imposed... it is time for rational people to accept that and legalize it, tax it, and provide a safer environment for this activity.

 
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Of all the evil things that happen in this world I think these sex traffickers of children have to be the worst.  There’s a special place in hell for these scumbags.

 
Even Craigslist has removed personal ads in fear of the feds.  We need to protect people from being used and exploited but at what cost?  Here is what their page says:

US Congress just passed HR 1865, "FOSTA", seeking to subject websites to criminal and civil liability when third parties (users) misuse online personals unlawfully.

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.

To the millions of spouses, partners, and couples who met through craigslist, we wish you every happiness!

 
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jon_mx said:
Even Craigslist has removed personal ads in fear of the feds.  We need to protect people from being used and exploited but at what cost?  Here is what their page says:

US Congress just passed HR 1865, "FOSTA", seeking to subject websites to criminal and civil liability when third parties (users) misuse online personals unlawfully.

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.

To the millions of spouses, partners, and couples who met through craigslist, we wish you every happiness!
Click to expand...
This seems like an odd hill for you to climb.

 
jon_mx said:
Even Craigslist has removed personal ads in fear of the feds.  We need to protect people from being used and exploited but at what cost?  Here is what their page says:

US Congress just passed HR 1865, "FOSTA", seeking to subject websites to criminal and civil liability when third parties (users) misuse online personals unlawfully.

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.

To the millions of spouses, partners, and couples who met through craigslist, we wish you every happiness!
Click to expand...
When did this supposedly happen?  I just looked at the local Craigslist page and the personals section is still there.  

 
(HULK) said:
This, paired with many other sites shutting down in response, could push a revival of streetwalking and pimping.

Basically, the FOSTA/SESTA thing will exacerbate the problem instead of fixing it.  
Click to expand...
Not so sure man.

We all know it ain’t easy.

 
(HULK) said:
This, paired with many other sites shutting down in response, could push a revival of streetwalking and pimping.

Basically, the FOSTA/SESTA thing will exacerbate the problem instead of fixing it.  
Click to expand...
That's what I was thinking.

I was reading too about pimps and escorts moving over to the dating websites. 

There will be many horrible stories that arise from this law/regulation. 

 
Everyone knows this isn't going to stop hookers but will just push it somewhere else (dark web, street walking, some non-US site, etc.).  It's a political thing, this looks like a "win" for someone's agenda.  Most politicians don't want to push the idea of legalizing sex workers because it's political suicide.  

I thought years ago that we would start seeing more Bunny Ranch time places in every city throughout the US; doesn't look like that's going to happen anytime soon. 

 
jon_mx said:
Even Craigslist has removed personal ads in fear of the feds.  We need to protect people from being used and exploited but at what cost?  Here is what their page says:

US Congress just passed HR 1865, "FOSTA", seeking to subject websites to criminal and civil liability when third parties (users) misuse online personals unlawfully.

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.

To the millions of spouses, partners, and couples who met through craigslist, we wish you every happiness!
Click to expand...
"Missed Connections" are still there.. under "Community" now...  It's like the Test Forum of Craigslist.. ;)

 
Ilov80s said:
Interesting connection there although I think the crux of the FB issue is around private data and security. 
Click to expand...
i'd agree that FB's problem warrants fines instead of criminal complaint or anything. but still, put in those most simple, almost stark terms....

 
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