Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said Monday that he has issued a subpoena to craigslist Inc. seeking information on whether it's fulfilling its promise to crack down on ads for prostitution in its adult-services section.
In a statement Monday, Blumenthal said the ads have persisted despite a commitment in 2008 by the classified advertising website to crack down on those ads and he wants to know whether craigslist is profiting from those ads.
"The craigslist brothel business seems booming--belying its promise to fight prostitution," Blumenthal said. "We are asking craigslist for specific answers about steps to screen and stop sex-for-money offers--and whether the company is actually profiting from prostitution ads that it promised the states and public that it would try to block. We're seeking answers, so we can reach legal conclusions."
Blumenthal, in part, is seeking documents related to craigslist's manual review process for potentially objectionable ads, information on the ads that are eliminated or rejected and communications from law enforcement regarding ads and craigslist's response.
In November 2008, craigslist reached an agreement with Connecticut and 39 other states to crack down on prostitution ads, including requiring posters of adult-services ads to give a working phone number and pay a fee with a valid credit card. The website also agreed to provide information in response to law-enforcement subpoenas.
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