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posted by martyb on Saturday April 07 2018, @04:13PM   Printer-friendly
from the Taking-a-si-SESTA dept.

Notorious website backpage.com has been seized according to NY Daily News.

Sex ads platform Backpage.com was seized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Friday hours after its founder's Phoenix home was raided.

Visitors to the site landed on a notice from the federal government announcing its seizure.

"Backpage.com and affiliated websites have been seized as part of an enforcement action by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, with analytical assistance from the Joint Regional Intelligence Center," the announcement read.

Founder's home also raided by the FBI Friday morning.

U.S. Government Seizes backpage.com

The FBI, Justice Department, and other agencies have seized backpage.com, and one of the co-founders had their home raided:

On Friday, federal law enforcement authorities seized Backpage domain names, including Backpage.com and Backpage.ca. In addition, the Arizona Republic reported that on Friday morning, law enforcement raided the Sedona-area home of Michael Lacey, a co-founder of the site.

For years, Backpage has acted with impunity as a place that offered thinly veiled online prostitution ads. In December 2016, Backpage CEO Carl Ferrer and his co-defendants beat back a state prosecution in California.

Sex workers aren't happy, and could be endangered by the move as well as the recent passage of the Stop Enabling Sex Trafficking Act (SESTA). SESTA is not yet in effect.

Also at CNN, WSJ, The Hill, and The Verge.

Previously: Supreme Court Chief Justice Blocks Congressional Subpoena Over First Amendment Rights
Backpage's Dallas Offices Raided, CEO Charged With "Pimping"
"Pimping" Charges Against Backpage Executives Dismissed
After Release of U.S. Senate Report, Backpage Shuts Down U.S. Adult Section

Related: Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act - 20 Years of Protecting Intermediaries
Craigslist Removes Personals Sections in the U.S.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 07 2018, @06:15PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 07 2018, @06:15PM (#663766)

    This problem between the Feds and backpages.com has been going on for many, many years now. This wasn't something either party just found out about, the reason for the timing probably has something to do with that change in federal law as well as the new Attorney General probably wanting to do something that would make the President look good with a portion of his base.

    AFAIK, there aren't other media outlets that have been actively resisting this the way that backpages does, and those papers themselves are in a different legal category due to being journalistic organizations with 1st amendment protections for most of their activities.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 08 2018, @05:31AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 08 2018, @05:31AM (#663877)

    different legal category due to being journalistic organizations with 1st amendment protections

    You authoritarian-loving ass-kissing cocksucking bootlicker. You don't need a 'press licence' to have first amendment protection.
    The first amendment does not apply to journalists. It applies to everybody.