Craigslist, which has been under pressure from state attorneys general for weeks to cut its “erotic services” ads, finally relented Wednesday, saying it would eliminate the category within seven days and replace it with a new “adult services” category instead. All ads in the new category will be vetted first by Craigslist staffers and it will now cost twice as much to place an ad, according to the Los Angeles Times. The “erotic services” category on Craigslist has been criticized ever since a woman who offered massages on the site was murdered.

—A balancing act: Last fall, Craigslist reached a settlement with 40 state AGs and agreed to implement policies designed to curb ads by sex trade workers on the site. Despite the agreement, state AGs had urged Craigslist to put additional restrictions on the site’s “erotic services” listings. Some state officials had also said that Craigslist executives could “be subject to criminal investigation and prosecution” unless they removed the ads.

More after the jump

But Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster had hesitated at making additional changes. In a blog post just last week, titled “Craigslist and Killers,” he said, “it’s horrible to think of Craigslist being used in connection with any violent crime whatsoever, let alone a murder.” But, he added, “Craigslist users have posted more than 1.15 BILLION classified ads to date, easily 1000x the combined total ever posted to the print publications involved in all of these ‘print ad murders.’” Buckmaster now tells the L.A. Times that the site’s response “was a balancing act where we’re trying to respond to feedback to constituencies that we felt were important.”

—Online red light districts put on notice: Reuters notes that the move could set a precedent for other online sites, which will likely face similar pressure to put restrictions on their erotic services listings. For instance, Connecticut AG Richard Blumenthal, said in a statement, “These measures are a solid next step, not a complete solution. Closing the erotic services section—a blatant Internet brothel—should lead to other blocking and screening measures, and set a model for other sites.” However, as TechDirt suggests, it’s just as likely that any illegal activity will simply move on to new sites until they too get under the radar of public officials.

Photo Credit: Flickr/jacksonwest

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