Say goodbye to searching for your Missed Connections or having a M4M Casual Encounter because, as of yesterday, Craigslist Personals are finished.
How?! How could this happen?! you wonder.
Well, it’s all because of the passage of the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA), which Congress passed on Wednesday.
The act essentially makes it easier for victims of sex trafficking, as well as prosecutors, to sue websites that allow sex traffickers to post ads on their platforms.
Related: Antigay Republican was “all over Craigslist,” used alias to meet and hookup with men, sources say
Now, if you try going to the Craigslist Personals page, you’re met with the following memo:
US Congress just passed HR 1865, “FOSTA”, seeking to subject websites to criminal and civil liability when third parties (users) misuse online personals unlawfully.
Any tool or service can be misused. We can’t take such risk without jeopardizing all our other services, so we are regretfully taking craigslist personals offline. Hopefully we can bring them back some day.
To the millions of spouses, partners, and couples who met through craigslist, we wish you every happiness!
People have not been taking the news well.
RIP Craigslist personal ads. I said it earlier today, & I am going to say it again. If you are are not gravely concerned about the horrifying censorship that is happening right now, you should be. This the the most frightening thing I've ever seen in terms of the Internet.
— Holly Golightly (@heaux_logic) March 23, 2018
Today is a sad day for the internet.
just went to post an ad in the personals section of @craigslist #craigslistand this message popped up.
so the entire personals section is being taken away, because of some dumb law that holds sites liable for the actions of usersSTUPID pic.twitter.com/3z2PtCFyoT
— #covfefe (@Orephiuchus) March 23, 2018
CRAIGSLIST PERSONALS ARE GONE AND I AM WEEPING. I AM GOING TO DIE. PLEASE TELL ME THIS ISN'T A JOKE
— Incel Michael Murray (@thottbaio) March 23, 2018
Reddit has also shut down several “questionable” subreddits because of the bill, out of fear of FOSTA repercussions.
Tech companies fought hard against the bill, arguing they couldn’t be held responsible for what people post, but in the end, they lost the fight.
“Today was a dark day for the Internet,” the EFF said in a statement after the bill’s passing.
It remains to be seen how hookup apps like Grindr, Scruff, and Tindr will respond to FOSTA.
Related: Married financier says he’s the target of an elaborate M4M Craigslist ‘smear campaign’
DCguy
They’ve just made it incredibly obvious how easy it would be to Stop Facebook from selling our data.
ChrisK
Now that would be a very useful way to spend Government resources.
ChrisK
Oh noes. Where am I going to find a hot straight guy with a girlfriend away for the wknd now? How are all the tweakers going to hook up now? Sad day in America:-(
bradyntylor
It will be interesting to see what other platforms will fill the vacuum. Sniffies is positioned to grow into the m4m space. I’m not sure about the non m4m niches.
CastleSF
Some of the most disgusting ads of creepy men looking to hook up with other men to act on their dark fantasy can be found on the personals section on Craigslist. Not to mention that countless people have been robbed, injured, or killed for their lack of judgment. Glad this and other similar sites are or will be shut down soon.
JaredMacBride
You’re awfully anxious to flush the First Amendment down the toilet.
calpoidog
Sounds like someone’s self-projecting or his boyfriend was on there and someone still has anger issues over it.
And, I highly doubt that “countless” people have been victims of crime and that such crimes are “countable” and given the number of hook ups, pretty rare.
I met lots of hot, nice, not at all creepy, guys, for plain ole vanilla sex in the day…nothing dark.
OzJosh
What total rubbish. I’ve used C’list for more than ten years, met numerous guys and never once been robbed, injured, threatened or anything like it – nor met anyone who has. If you exercise the same intelligence and judgement you would in any other human interaction there is nothing to fear. But I guess that’s where you’d have a problem. It must be very dark in your scary, scary world.
poe33eop
Agreed buddy. My life took a downward spiral after making that awful decision to check out CL that one summer night 5 years ago. Like so many I was thrilled by the ease of it all like a kid in a candy store.CL is certainly a Pandora’s box though. I get so sick of immature gay and DL guys pretending that pro sex = pro gay. That is a lie that has been promoted far too long and it’s a belief held by the delusional crowd who are probably I’m the throes of addiction, sexual and otherwise.
Metro135
Gee, what brilliant logic. That’s like blaming a gay bar owner because some guy you met at his bar gave you an STD.
seaguy
There were also countless hookups that left both parties satisfied, along with connections made through the missed connections area. One needs only to take basic precautions to not get robbed. So your happiness is a nod to censorship more than anything else.
Aromaeus
Honestly this sucks. Granted there are still apps like Grindr and Jack’d but they aren’t as popular is parts of the country as most would think. I also had more success finding decent hook-ups with decent guys using craigslist than I have with the apps. I have no shame admitting that. Also craigslist provided a bit more…variety than the apps? I’m from a small country town so it’s all the same guys on all the same apps. If you aren’t into a good portion of the guys on there you don’t have any options. I know someone will say go out and meet people in the real world but there are no gay bars or clubs within a 50+ mile radius of my town. There is one sports bar that has a lgbt night but it’s on a wednesday and it’s not very publicized even by the bar.
I’m against sex trafficking and definitely think we need steps to stop it but this seems like the wrong move.
JaredMacBride
My goodness the Republican Congress certainly believes in the nanny state. I hope someone will challenge the constitutionality of this nonsense.
steve.case
94.3% of Democrats voted for this bill. Along with 94.1% of Republicans. Why does everything have to be about a political party? It’s like the boy that cried Wolf, eventually everyone quit listening to him.
KaiserVonScheiss
Isn’t this the bill that was opposed by the anti-sex traffic lobby?
DCguy
Oh look, a troll dropping a “People are saying” comment.
Please feel free to put up a link rather than making a vague assertion. Thanks.
Smith David
Wow…”Big Brother” is at it again. When sh*t like this happens, I can see the genius of author George Orwell and his predictions presented in his novel “1984”. Certainly, the elimination of free thought and sex exploration is taking shape with this new ban.
poe33eop
Can we please stop with the silly conflation of sex and freedom? It’s getting old.
The world needs less sex not more.
troyfight
As Grindr and dudesnude and others…..BLOW UP
seaguy
Yeah this will make A4A, NKP, BBRT and others busier.
tham
Much like congress, they’re about 20 years behind the times.
This will only affect older people (over 40).
Younger stopped using “craigslist” about 10 years ago…if it ain’t an app, it doesn’t exesist.
CastleSF
If the trend you observe among the younger generation is accurate, then that’s an improvement. Hookup apps are addictive and promotes anonymous sex but I guess it’s better than those creepy ads.
thisismylife247
That’s not true. I’m in my late twenties and I’ve used craigslist to hook up with lots of guys in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s and some in their 50″s. Its safer and easier for a closeted, bi-curious or married man to browse a craigslist ad than download Grindr
ChrisK
@thisismylife247. You’re absolutely correct. Craigslist was a safe and popular place for the closet cases and age wasn’t a factor.
Aromaeus
I’m turning 28 next week and have used craigslist for years. I’m not in the closet and I do have the apps but have always had more success on craigslist. It’s also great if you are going to be traveling to a big city soon so you can set up a post and have something arranged for when you are in town. You do get a lot of older guys replying but I haven’t had any issues finding guys my age or at least older guys who are attractive and fit.
ChrisK
@tham. You’re also right. Most out gay men stopped using Craigslist many moons ago. This will have the same impact as going after say Manhunt today as in barely noticed.
CastleSF
thisismylife and aroma, sadly your days of hooking up with strangers on craigslist are numbered.
lauraspencer
Do you have stats to support this? I ask, because my boyfriend and I met on CL in 2016 and have been together a little over 2 years. He was 24 at the time.
thisismylife247
Whew! Thank God it’s still available in Canada (just checked). Our government recognizes the value of a good hook-up
ethan_hines
Not anymore! You know the old saying US gets the flu we get a cold!
Daniel-Reader
So in effect it blocks regular use of such personal sites by 99.9% of ordinary non-criminal Americans in order to try to do something to stop trafficking by the remainder. And yet in reality only USA based sites are subject to this law and all those outside the USA are not. Yeah that sounds like something Congress would do.
CanadianGuy62
First thing I did when I read this! Whew!
Cum up north, boys. ;-P
miserylovedme24
This just plain sucks. I know a lot of the snobs online liked to run down Craigslist, but in my experience it was miles better than the meat market that is Grindr. Guys on Grindr are flaky, rude, and annoying. On Craigslist, it was far easier to meet someone normal and closeted just looking for a quick hookup. And contrary to some people’s opinions, it wasn’t just older guys. I talked to many, many guys in their 20s on there. And besides all of that, this just sucks as it’s one more way we’re being censored. Republicans can never claim to be the party of freedom.
JerseyMike
Some of you think it’s funny or just don’t care… This is how it starts… Slowly but surely more sites are going to come down… No matter what you think of craigslist and other sites like it, people have a right to meet in the personals if they want. I don’t agree with the selling of minors at all, but consenting adults have a right to meet anywhere they want…
e.c.
Yes, I hope all of the guys snarking about Craigslist still think it’s funny when every platform with a message board/chat room/connect function has to shut down for fear of criminal liability.
dean089
Let’s get real. This isn’t about sex trafficking. This is about sex. Period. The Neo-Puritans, armed with their morality and self-righteousness, can’t stand the idea that people are out there having sex in a manner not prescribed by God — which, of course, means incest and pedophilia are OK as long as it’s heterosexual. “Sex trafficking,” like “terrorism,” is just the scare tactic used by a government bent on controlling every moment of our lives.
mhoffman953
@dean089
I wouldn’t go that far. Clicking on the link to the bill and seeing who voted “Yay” and who voted “Nay”, both Republicans and Democrats unanimously voted “Yay” with the exception of Rand Paul and someone else who voted “Nay”
I’d say it more of the case of old people in government not understanding how the internet works.
Secondly, the bill isn’t forcing Craigslist to take down their personal pages. It simply says that if someone is sex trafficking people and gets charged, the website which allowed the ad to run will also be charged. Craigslist could still run personals if they increased their company’s monitoring of what gets posted
Lastly, who really uses Craigslist anymore? You have Grindr, Tinder, Plenty of Fish, Scruff, Growlr, Adam4Adam, Jack’d, PlanetRomeo, Recon, Instagram, Backpage, and a whole list of other services to use. Craigslist’s decision just hurts Craigslist in the end
ChrisK
Yeah, even Manhunt is still around and they’re light years better then Craigslist. Your other point is spot on. Craigslist never gave a shit about what was posted on their site. Plus, this isn’t the first site take down for sex trafficking.
I know others here disagree and that’s fine. I’m glad their personal section is gone.
Daniel-Reader
@mhoff you just listed the sites that will shut down when they face litigation for the same thing. You aren’t listing sites that are immune to shutting down since no site can monitor all posters cost effectively.
Cylest Brooks
I can promise you that sex trafficking is real and terrible.
mhoffman953
@Daniel-Reader
Nearly all of the sites I listed monitor their content WAY better than Craigslist. Try posting a photo on Grindr that violates their guidelines and see how quickly your profile gets suspended or the photo gets removed.
No website is “immune” as you say but if you read the actual text of the bill, the only websites that would actually face negligence charges in a court of law are websites that allow a “promotion or facilitation of prostitution and reckless disregard of sex trafficking”
Craigslist would fall under that umbrella because Craigslist does nothing to monitor it’s content effectively and shows reckless disregard. Craigslist has done nothing to modernize their website over the years. There are no age requirements when posting sex ads, no one reviews the photos, and their website is recklessly used for sex trafficking of women and children (just like Backpage). Craigslist realizes this which is why instead of investing money into the adult sections of their site, they’re just throwing in the towel
rigulsaven
Still available in NZ. Must have only been removed in the States.
nitejonboy
My god what will the republicans do to search for gay sex during their conventions ?
DavidIntl
It is still alive in Australia, at least for now. Though given our government’s tendency to imitate even the worst initiatives from the U.S., I wouldn’t count on it lasting forever.
Mandrake
If the Craigslist shutdown is just the beginning, and the app sites follow along with other websites, gay bars may reopen and increase. Gay men will need to socialize in gay venues and begin cruising with a beer bottle and dance music again.
CastleSF
If gays do start to go out to the real world more because of the decline of the online hookups, that could indeed be the silver lining of the demise of Craigslist personals.
Bob Scardino
Back to street cruising for me then.
James
I HATE REPUBLICANS. THEY ARE EVIL. MAY THE LOG CABIN CLUB ROT IN HELL FOREVER.
mhoffman953
@James
You do realize that every Democrat except for 1 voted in favor of this bill, right?
bradyntylor
It will be interesting to see what other platforms will fill the vacuum. Sniffies is positioned to grow into the m4m space. I’m not sure about the non m4m niches.
jasentylar
Congress didn’t shut down the personals section on CL. The company shut it down themselves because they didn’t want to be held responsible for what goes on there. No censorship here. Just corporate responsibility. Get your rocks off elsewhere. Stop trying to spin the news.
Nahald
And here I thought we lived in American. I presume I am now incorrect about that. It seems with Trump in office and the GOP Controlled Congress we’ve officially become a fascist dictatorship and Russian Satellite nation !
surreal33
I hope Grindr and its ilk are next. Soon men will have to man up and interact face to face.
poe33eop
Lol..Agreed.
Maybe then we wouldn’t have to see people going through the drama of creating apps to see who blocked them on other apps. How pathetic.
A blessing in disguise I say.
hwc2016
Funny how Craigs List personals are still up & running in Canada. Sadly in the USA we are losing all of out rights to do anything. So you better get out & vote Trump and all of those republicans and yes some democrats who like to tell you what you can & cannot do, out of office when the time rolls around. Because Trump has already banned transgenders in the service & you know Gay Marriage is going to be next & who knows what, since he like’s to over turn everything. Soon (R) rated movies will only be allowed after 8pm again, remember when that was a law back in early 80’s? People we are sliding back faster than a roller coaster…
ethan_hines
As of May 1st the Canadian Version of personals went down too!
wescravn
The loss of craigslist personals was devastating. I use a new website now (https://intimatepersonals.us)
At least I can still post free ads, and the bigger the site gets it will be like Craigslist Personals again, or at least I hope. It’s horrible how congress wants to take away our god given rights. Oh well, that’s life in the US.