"Censored" Gone; Craigslist Could Go Before Congress
On Wednesday, Craigslist pulled the “censored” label from its U.S. site — but didn’t restore its controversial adult services section.
Craigslist first put up a black box reading “censored” on its site last Friday, following a period of increased pressure from a group of attorneys general and anti-prostitution groups. Craigslist hasn’t explained the move, or said whether it plans to permanently shut down adult services listings, which critics say had become an online red light district.
Now the “censored” label, which suggested that Craigslist executives saw adult services as a First Amendment issue, is gone. Craiglist didn’t explain the move.
We may get more of a clue of their view next Wednesday, when the House Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing on domestic minor sex trafficking. Craigslist executives last week told the Journal that they had been invited to speak at the event.
A spokeswoman for the committee said that the witness list hadn’t yet been confirmed. Craigslist’s spokeswoman declined to comment.
