Switched has a new home! Huffpost Tech.

Click here to visit the new home of Switched!

Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

Craigslist Clamping Down on Erotic Services By Requiring Credit Cards

by Kaiser Hwang on November 8, 2008 at 09:32 AM

Craigslist. What is not to love? An open market for everything from selling your junk to connecting with that cute redhead you saw in your local Starbucks but can't find a time to talk to. Of course, the increasingly popular site is also known for its personals section, which is filled to the brim with lonely souls looking for tennis partners, dates, or yes, even "erotic services" (read: sex).

Now, according to some Craigslist posters, the site requires that a $10 fee be paid, by credit card, to post an ad for said erotic services. The police will also be able to subpoena these cards in their effort to cut down on pimping.

While it's an unspoken truth that Craigslist enables a ton of sex trafficking, it's tough to say how effective this will be in deterring prostitution, especially with the number of available social sites popping up on the Internet. Additionally, if all the cops want is a credit card number, why not just charge $1 instead of heavily taxing those who may offer legitimate services. Truth is, there's a lot of gray area here, and only time will tell how this affects anyone in a positive or negative way.

At least there's always hookupmaps, if you're feeling a little naughty.[From: Gawker]


Tags: craigslist, personals, sex, web

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular