Backpage is officially dead and gone

[JulyAZ]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-backpage-justice/sex-ads-website-backpage-shut-down-by-u-s-authorities-idUSKCN1HD2QP

Backpage was taken down today as a sex trafficking site.

Idk about all you but I did use BP from time to time to sell Firearms as it provided local buyers, without the need to ship.

[kwelz]

This is only the beginning. And I don't mean that in a good way.

This new law is going to be used and abused to shut down any site people don't like. It leaves any site open to civil and criminal liabilities if someone uses it to hook up and then does harm to the person.

[Alex V]

Haven't several people been killed following attempted glhookups from Craigslist? How is that site still up?

[kwelz]

Haven't several people been killed following attempted glhookups from Craigslist? How is that site still up?

They have removed all personals sections from the site. Many other sites that offered similar services are also removing them and some dating sites are even in trouble.

[Moose-Knuckle]

This is only the beginning. And I don't mean that in a good way.

This new law is going to be used and abused to shut down any site people don't like. It leaves any site open to civil and criminal liabilities if someone uses it to hook up and then does harm to the person.

Yup.

One could argue that the internet as a whole is a risk so we need the .gov to manage it. Yikes.

I wonder how much of this has to do with the exploitation of minors and how much of it has to do with shutting down yet another avenue for private gun sales. Though I'm sure dope was slung on such sites as well to some degree. Who know's?

[SteyrAUG]

At least I got to enjoy the internet when it was free. Sure escorts were advertising and things like that, but honestly is that really much different from other sites like Ashley Madison?

Only used Backpage a handful of times scouring for old martial arts weapons, somehow I always manage to miss out on the sex trafficking.

[Zirk208]

I wasn't aware backpage was legitimately used for anything other than escorts and "personal services".

[hotrodder636]

Never even heard of it until this thread. That is not saying much as I don’t play around much outside of this forum.

[Averageman]

We can't be "saved" from ourselves, we need a .gov to regulate our safety at every level.
Backpage, Craigslist, whatever. Hooker's gonna hook and John's are gonna John.
But " Big Brother" needs to flex his arms once in a while to show you just how "safe" he keeps you.
Welcome to this Century's version of Freedom.

[Jer]

Haven't several people been killed following attempted glhookups from Craigslist? How is that site still up?

Several more people have been killed following attempted hookups from bars/clubs so we need the government to shut those down pronto too. You know... for security and safety and junk.

[JulyAZ]

Sent to me by a member without the ability to post in the GD, but a worthy read about the topic...


I don't post enough to post in GD but have first hand LEO experiance. I work for HSI in Colorado. Two guys in our office work child trafficking as a sort of additional duty. They have recoverd/"rescued" 4 underage girls that were being advertised in BP age 16-17 since January. The most recent being last Thursday when the girl (17) was driven to the motel by her pimp who refused to surrrender and attempted to suicide by cop. The 17yo had a 2yo daughter that she had left at home. The sex trafficking had started way before we became involved and honestly, she will most likely continue this life. Where we have made a difference is if we can intervene in the 14-15yo age. How we approach it in CO is to contact these girls and then offer them a way out of the life. We are trying to find the younger ones that are out there by talking to the older ones. Its a very tedious process. I was surprised to see BP taken down but felt it was only a matter of time as the Owners have done nothing to stop the trade and have been less than coopertive with LEA.

The attitude at work is split. Some think this is good as it will make life harder for people looking for this, and others think its bad as it will not stop the trade, just force it other places.

I predict we will see an uptick on craigslist and dating sites.

As to one of the questions someone posed "is this about child trafficking or about guns?" I would say its child trafficking. Not to say that doesn't still happen at craigslist but there have been efforts of good faith by them to show they are trying to stop it. BP basically said its not their problem how people use theur site. Will this be used in the future for other reasons? Maybe. Trafficking is the super sexy word right now politically/publicly and adding child infront of it makes it double sexy. People picture Taken but in our reality, its BP/CL. Child also means anyone under the age of 18. We have recovered children as young as 1yo but not in the way/situation most would think.


*spelling errors brought to you by my broken phone...

[Vgex2]

One of my jobs listed BP as one of the primary "Human Trafficking" sites available in my state.

[Iraqgunz]

Free speech sucks, doesn't it? I mean its not like thousands of people die every year from firearms related deaths or anything.


Haven't several people been killed following attempted glhookups from Craigslist? How is that site still up?

[RetroRevolver77]

Glad they shut it down if trafficking was involved.

[Iraqgunz]

Glad they shut it down, if trafficking in guns was involved.

Glad they shut it down, since criminals were buying guns with no background checks.

Glad they shut it down, since dangerous information was being exchanged.


Glad they shut it down if trafficking was involved.

[Moose-Knuckle]

Speaking of Craigslist people get set-up and blasted for simply trying to purchase/sell video game consoles and smart phones.

I've never heard of Backlist either until this thread, but I would imagine there are many more like it and that's not to even mention the dark web.

FB has Marketplace, I just missed buying a Chevy Suburban on there by mere minutes the other day. Who knows what else is being peddled on there.

[NWPilgrim]

I don't understand it, never heard if BP before. But if the police know about then wouldn't bad guys be dumber than rocks to solicit illegal activities on it? If it us such a well known trafficking site why aren't police all over the meetups?

Takung it down will not stop such vile people as traffickers who are making a boatload of money. It will fragment to several other sites in more languages and locations and dark web venues.

I am totally for stomping on traffickers of any humans and especially minors. But taking down a known intelligence source seems counterproductive. Am I missing something in this BP stuff?

[Jellybean]

I get why they think this is a good idea... but....


“...Today, Backpage was shutdown. It’s a huge step. Now no child will be sold for sex through this website,” tweeted Senator Heidi Heitkamp....Shutting down the largest online U.S. marketplace for sex trafficking will dramatically reduce the profitability of forcing people into the commercial sex trade, at least in the short term,” said Bradley Myles

Bunch of press-hungry politicians eager to be seen to be "Doing Something" but as usual leading with their feels not their brains. Everyone wants a heretic to burn to "prove" their legislation. Myles statement is right- this will be short term. No child will be sold through *this* website....you know, the largest one out there apparently... it'll just splinter to dozens, maybe hundreds of others.
There's some saying about "keep your enemies close".... But is seems that, as with most politically-driven LE busts, they seem to want the "big win" all in one shot...for the pre-*cough*I mean Kids, of course...


Heitkamp helped draft legislation passed by the Senate last month that makes it easier for state prosecutors and sex-trafficking victims to sue social media networks, advertisers and others that fail to keep sex trafficking and exploitative materials off their platforms....
So how long till this turns into precedent for suing over guns and politics....

...legislation passed by the Senate last month that makes it easier for state prosecutors and gun violence victims to sue social media networks, advertisers and others that fail to keep depictions of firearms and instructional training off their platforms...
....legislation passed by the Senate last month that makes it easier for state prosecutors and protected minority victims to sue social media networks, advertisers and others that fail to keep divisive and dangerous political commentary off their platforms....

Yeah, I can just see the snowballing now.... :rolleyes:

[vicious_cb]

Glad they shut it down, if trafficking in guns was involved.

Glad they shut it down, since criminals were buying guns with no background checks.

Glad they shut it down, since dangerous information was being exchanged.

Its like shutting down Starbucks because a shady deal went down in their parkinglot :mad:

Its the same ****ing tactic over and over. Basically hide behind a moral imperative like stopping child trafficking so if you attack their position it makes it look like you are pro human trafficking. Its the political equivalent of ISIS using women and children as human shields.

[Slater]

Maybe it'll re-emerge as "Frontpage" or some such. :D

[JC5188]

Never even heard of it until this thread. That is not saying much as I don’t play around much outside of this forum.

Same here, never heard of it.

[RetroRevolver77]

Glad they shut it down, if trafficking in guns was involved.

Glad they shut it down, since criminals were buying guns with no background checks.

Glad they shut it down, since dangerous information was being exchanged.


I meant to say I have no problem with them shutting something down that was being used for sex trafficking.

[OH58D]

What's to stop the owners of that site from moving their servers offshore?

[Don Robison]

All they have managed to do is make the jobs of those tracking the trafficking more difficult by pushing it further underground. My neighbor is a full time internet sex crimes investigator for our Sheriff Department; he doesn't seem to happy about both BP and CL personals being removed.

[Vandal]

All they have managed to do is make the jobs of those tracking the trafficking more difficult by pushing it further underground. My neighbor is a full time internet sex crimes investigator for our Sheriff Department; he doesn't seem to happy about both BP and CL personals being removed.

I recently had a class for patrol officers about human trafficking about a week ago, they already have other places to look. CL and BP were just the low hanging fruit. They told us Facebook has already been a successful place for them to work.

[Don Robison]

I recently had a class for patrol officers about human trafficking about a week ago, they already have other places to look. CL and BP were just the low hanging fruit. They told us Facebook has already been a successful place for them to work.Yep, that's what he was saying, those places were pretty easy, but they usually lead to other places.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

[Vandal]

Yep. Human trafficking is a fascinating yet creepy and disgusting rabbit hole to go down.

[Averageman]

I wonder if someone ever used the New York Times Classifieds to promote the Prostitution of a Minor?
I'm guessing that might have happened, we're just not reading the same way the people buying and selling are.
Now could you imagine the uproar if when it was found to be true, LEO's decided to shut down the Times?
I'm not advocating for anything but a free press here and the opportunity for an equal playing field for its participants.

It's a giant leap between an open forum for adults to post in and openly advocating for the sexual slavery of minors.
If they can't make a direct correlation, what just happened?

[Iraqgunz]

We should shut down the internet and kill the power which made it all possible.


I meant to say I have no problem with them shutting something down that was being used for sex trafficking.

[skywalkrNCSU]

A restricted person could possibly buy a gun through the classified section here, better shut that down. I actually think this new legislation could put M4C on the hook if something like that happens.