Craigslist Ceo Fighting Back
Craigslist has been feeling some heat lately because of it’s “erotic services” section on it’s site. However, according to consumeraffairs.com, “Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster has fired back at South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster, who has been threatening to prosecute Buckmaster on criminal charges of soliciting prostitution. In an unusual turnabout, Buckmaster has filed suit against McMaster, seeking an injunction that would bar him from filing charges.” It seems other states besides South Carolina are raising suits against the site’s owner, yet Buckmaster feels he and his site is protected under the First Amendment and, more specifically, by the Communications Decency Act, enacted by Congress in 1996 to protect Web sites, telecommunications providers and other interactive media. Does Craigslist and other social networking sites have the right to have these “services” promoted on their sites, or is there a difference between “allowing” it and “promoting” it? We will all see how this case pans out, and it is probably going to set some precedence for future cases involving the internet.
Update: Carigslist has removed it’s “erotic services” section of the site, and replaced it with “adult services”.