Craig's+List+Adult+Services

Mike Todd = Craig's List Adult Services =

Craigslist.org originated in 1995 as a personal emailing list of founder, Craig Newark, and later transition into a website in 1996. Since its founding, craigslist.org has exploded, in terms of traffic and revenue, into a vast internet database for the purchasing and sale of goods and services, as well as a forum for a variety of discussion. Despite its widespread popularity, the website remains simplistic, allowing private users to utilize basic texts and general categories to regionally advertise virtually anything they desire. Craigslist.org is very similar in appearance and function to the classifieds section seen in many newspapers. Alexa, an internet information service, currently ranks craigslist.org as the 38th most visited website on the internet (Alexa, 2012). In 2008, craigslist.org, already having well established itself among internet users, introduced an additional category to its website’s offerings, titled ‘Erotic Services’ (Changed in October, 2010 to ‘Adult Services’ and removed entirely in September, 2010) The ‘Erotic Services’ category allowed users to post sexually explicit advertisements and has been accused by critics as serving as a venue for illegal activity. While a seemingly small addition, this category was a heavily controversial step in the rapid revolution of sexual communication via the Internet.
 * History**

The Internet has brought about a sexual revolution by providing a previously inexistent medium for sexual communication. The craigslist.org ‘Erotic Services’ section is an important part of this revolution by providing a seemingly limitless virtual space for sexual interaction. Sexual communication via craigslist.org diverges tremendously, ranging from simple advertisements for sexual conversations, to vulgar listings for perversion. Sexual communication can also be seen in conversational text interactions between users in the sites provided forums, which are categorized in similar topics as the advertisements. The format of craigslist.org also allows for user anonymity. A significant portion of advertisements include very little, if any personal information. Additionally, some users choose to use images that are focused entirely on sex, such as provocative nude photos. In some cases users obscure their face or crop the image to exclude their face altogether. The creation of purely sexually focused advertisements on craigslist.org exemplifies sexual self-objectification and is believed by many scholars and health professionals alike to adversely affect personal health. Aubrey et al. (2009) discuss potential adverse effects, stating “Self-objectifying individuals tend to define the self in terms of how the body appears to others, rather than what the body can do or how it feels. Such a view of the self is rather dehumanizing, as it privileges how the self looks rather than how it feels.” Craigslist.org users who self-objectify are likely willing to do so in an attempt at personal gain. The erotic section has been used predominately with great controversy for the personal gains of sexual gratification, as well as monetary gain for those advertising illegal activity. Davis (2001) discusses the increasing use of the internet for sexual gratification and suggests shy and introverted individuals find the internet as particularly salient as a channel for sexual communication. The craigslist.org non-invasive format, which does not require any formal registration, of self-selected personal disclosure aligns with Davis’ (2001) suggestion for users’ motivation for using the website. Motivations and potential benefits of using websites, particularly craigslist.org, as a form of sexual communication remain largely unstudied, despite increasing global reliance on these internet venues. The controversial adverse effects of craigslist.org have garnered majority of the discussion of the website’s adult offerings and remain a fervently contested, widely publicized issue.
 * Sexual Communication via Craigslist**

Controversy emerged nearly immediately after craigslist.org made the addition of the ‘Erotic Services’ category. The largest opposition arose from both public officials and private interest groups that claim the “Erotic Services’ section aids online prostitution and child trafficking. There is also significant support for the section, arising primarily from free speech proponents and advocates of an unregulated internet. Since the sections inception, numerous key events have shaped the argument, including Congressional hearings and numerous state level court decisions, which ultimately provoked a response from the sites executives. In November, 2008, shortly after the sections launch, craigslist.org faced strong opposition from 40 state’s Attorney Generals, led by Attorney General of Connecticut, Richard Blumentha, who sent a collaborative letter requesting the website eliminate its “Erotic Services” section (Stone, 2008). In response to these demands, craigslist.org changed the sections rather suggestive title to “Adult Services” and began charging for the service, as well as implementing automated calls to verify user identity. According to a report done by Abc News, animosity still grew, gaining support from prominent actress Demi Moore, and sparking the interest of the U.S. Congress (Khan, 2010). In March, 2009 Cook County, Illinois Sheriff Thomas Dart filed a state lawsuit against craigslist.org in an attempt at holding executives accountable for the illegal activity users committed while using the website’s services. The court ruled in favor of craigslist.org, claiming the website was protected under the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which protected website service providers from being prosecuted as a result users misusing their website (Adamo, 2011). Despite the legal victory, craigslist.org succumbed to pressure from human rights groups and public officials. In September, 2010 craigslist.org executives replaced the cites ‘Adult Services’ section with a censored banner, viewed by many as a passive means to express its sentiments regarding the issue (Miller, 2010) Additional factions, while far from achieving the same recognition as those opposing prostitution and child trafficking, criticize craigslist.org for fostering dangerous behavior. Law enforcement officials on numerous occasions have linked the website’s adult sections as the origination of various sexual assaults and even murder. Most notably was the killing of Julissa Brisman, which was the culmination of a weeklong spree of attacks on craigslist.org ‘Erotic Services’ users, carried out by Philip Markoff (Hewitt et al., 2009). These events were later adapted into a 2011 Lifetime Movie Network rendition, entitled //Craigslist Killer//. Also worth noting is a relatively significant body of research that attributes the use of internet based sexual communication websites to increased risk for sexual disease, most highly seen among gay males. According to a study done by Elford et al. (2001), gay men who utilize sites like craigslist.org for seeking sex are at a significantly higher risk for contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Individuals who use the internet for sexual communication, particularly to engage in physical sexual activity, are believed to be higher risk takers. Unfortunately, similarly to the threat of violence, potential health concerns related to craigslist.org have been largely overshadowed by the controversy created over prostitution and child trafficking.
 * Controversy**

Craigslist.org has since removed the controversial ‘censored’ banner that replaced its ‘Adult Services’ section. Currently the sites social services are limited to a ‘Personals’ section that allows users to select user advertisements based on their sexual preference. Despite the elimination of a specific category for adult content, a large amount of advertisements continue to contain sexually explicit material. Inappropriate advertisements are currently capable of being flagged by users as violating the craigslist.org terms of use, resulting in prompt removal. Nevertheless, users who attempt to use the site for illegal activity have adapted their sexual communication and attempt to use non-explicit language, such as a specific quantity of ‘red roses’ to signify the dollar rate associated with an illegal sexual act (Khan, 2010).
 * Current Status**

**References** Aubrey, J. (2006). Exposure to Sexually Objectifying Media and Body Self-Perceptions among College Women: An Examination of the Selective Exposure Hypothesis and the Role of Moderating Variables. //Sex Roles//, 55(3/4), 159. Davis, R.A.. "A cognitive-behavioral model of pathological Internet use." //Computers in Human Behavior// 17.2 (2001): 187-195. //SciVerse//. Web. Elford, Jonathan, Graham Bolding, and Lorraine Sherr. "Seeking sex on the Internet and sexual risk behaviour among gay men using London gyms." //AIDS// 15.11 (2001): 1409-1415. //AIDS//. Web. Ford, Beverly. (2009, April 23). Suspected \'Craigslist killer\' Philip Markoff tried to hang himself in jail cell, on suicide watch. Retrieved from http://articles.nydailynews.com/2009-04-23/news/17920136_1_jail-cell-suicide-attempt-philip-markoff. Hewitt, B., Egan, N., Herbst, D., McNeil, E., & Rakowsky, J. (2009). THE CLEAN-CUT KILLER? (Cover story). //People//, 71(17), 56-60. Retrieved from EBSCO//host//. Khan, Huma. "Craigslist Controversy Continues: Adult Services Still Offered Just Across Border in Canada." //Abc news// 12 Sept. 2011: n. pag. //ABC News//. Web. Lee, B. (2008). Reading GAM in Craigslist Personals: Constructing Gay Asian Males During the Negotiation of Anal Intercourse. //Conference Papers -- International Communication Association//, 1-28. Retrieved from EBSCO//host//. Miller, Claire Cain. "Craigslist Blocks Access to ‘Adult Services’ Pages." //New York Times// 4 Sept. 2012: A14. //New York Times//. Web. Peter Adamo, Craigslist, the CDA, and Inconsistent International Standards Regarding Liability for Third-Party Postings on the Internet, Pace Int’l L. Rev. Online Companion, Feb. 2011. Stone, Brad. "Craigslist Agrees to Curb Sex Ads." //The New York Times// 7 Oct. 2008: n. pag. //Smart Sex Talk//. Web. Strumpf, Dan. (2010, September 06). Craigslist \'censored\' bar won\'t stop online prostitution. Retrieved from []. "The Top 500 Sites on the Web." //Alexa//. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2011. . ThisNThat, (2010, August 11). Craigslist Sells Sex Slaves. Retrieved from http://www.eurthisnthat.com/2010/08/11/craigslist-sells-sex-slaves/.