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FBI Seizes backpage.com and Affiliates

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

Booga1 writes:

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

takyon writes:

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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• Silver lining Silver lining (Score: 2) by Subsentient on Sunday April 08 2018, @04:56AM (1 child)

  by Subsentient (1111) on Sunday April 08 2018, @04:56AM (#663875) Homepage Journal

  I'm not a fan of the new federal law that enabled this -- in fact, I revile it. It puts innocent people at risk of jail for the evil of their platforms' users. But, backpage is an exception. Yes, the traffickers will move to other venues, but backpage was well known, on the clearnet, available to everyone, and made it too easy. If you push this stuff into onionland, you're still making it harder for them to get business. That's a good thing. The less profitable we can make it, the better. I don't think prostitution is immoral or should be illegal, but with modern day prostitution comes a very high probability of human trafficking and other severe abuse, and if you don't know for sure that you're fucking a free range/organic prostitute, then it *becomes* immoral. I'm happy they're shut down. They deserved it sorely.

  --
  "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." -Jiddu Krishnamurti

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• Re:Silver lining (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 08 2018, @05:35AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 08 2018, @05:35AM (#663878)

  How about the next time you're fucking a hooker, you ask her/him: "Are you here of your own free will? Would you like me to drive you to the police or a shelter?".

  Parent