Craigslist Blamed Yet Again For Something It Didn’t Do

Weren’t we just pointing out that everyone seems to want to blame Craigslist for things that it has no responsibility for? The latest is Connecticut’s Attorney General, who has attacked Craigslist for allowing ads for prostitution . This is hardly a new charge. Last summer, the mayor of Atlanta lobbed similar charges at Craigslist. But, of course, just like that time, the blame is misplaced. Craigslist is the tool provider, not the content provider. To blame Craigslist isn’t just wrong, when it comes to illegal acts like prostitution, it’s downright backwards . Why? Because as some police have realized, Craigslist is actually a really useful tool for police to track down and arrest people breaking the law. So not only is placing the blame on the wrong party, it’s doing so in a way that would only drive the prostitution further underground, making it harder for the police (and the Attorney General’s office) to do their job. ...