Craigslist, erotic services & electronic records

On September 8, 2010, CBC reported that the RCMP was working with administrators at Craigslist to shut down the adult services section of the site. The police fear that erotic ads are merely cover for prostitution and other sex trade services, which are against the law in Canada. The American version of Craigslist has already removed its adult services ads at the request of police.

This is an interesting story for folks in many different disciplines. Law enforcement officials believe these Craigslist ads facilitate illegal activities and want the ads censored or removed. Harm reduction advocates believe that taking down the ads will only force sex trade workers to go underground and use less safe avenues to solicit work. Owners of the ads believe that they should be allowed to continue posting because they pay for the services of Craigslist just like anyone else.

What does this have to do with RM? Glad you asked.

Last year, Craigslist began charging money for ads in its adult services section at the behest of US law enforcement. Why? Because Craigslist believed that it was a good way to create a 'paper trail' that could lead police to the owners of the ads in the event that any charges were laid. The only form of payment Craigslist allows is by credit card and hence, posters must submit their credit card information when they place an ad. The creation of this electronic record is actually a way for Craigslist to improve accountability. After all, it was an ad placed on Craigslist's adult services site that allowed American medical student/serial killer Philip Markoff to meet his victims. (Read more about that case here).

On a side note, I recently moved. While packing, I used old copies of Now, Eye, and Xtra! to wrap my dishes and other breakables. My mom had a good laugh when she was helping me unpack because essentially all of my mugs and vases were sheathed in ads for sex services, bear chat lines, and offers of erotic massages. Does the fact that these ads are printed on newspaper make them any less offensive to law enforcement? What is the difference between adult ads in the back of Eye Weekly and classifieds posted on Craigslist?

In my humble opinion, the harm reduction advocates have it right. As long as there have been johns, there have been prostitutes. Better to create a paper trail in the event that an encounter turns bad than send sex trade workers back to the corner of Jarvis and Gerrard.

Just sayin'.