BonePage.com Replaced Backpage.com
BonePage.com replaced Backpage.com sex classifieds following the U.S. government seizure of Backpage in 2018. For those who don’t know, Backpage.com was a popular sex classifieds website that was founded in 2004. It quickly became one of the largest online marketplaces for buying and selling adult services. The Backpage adult section, which featured classified ads for escorts and adult services ultimately became their undoing.
In 2010, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported that 70%+ of all child trafficking reports that it received from the general public involved ads posted on Backpage.com. This led to widespread calls for the website to be shut down. Then, in 2012, the U.S. Senate began investigating Backpage.com. In 2015, the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Investigations accused Backpage.com of knowingly facilitating child sex trafficking. They alleged that Backpage had edited ads to remove references to underage ads. They further argued that Backpage executives had laundered money from the sale of these ads.
U.S. Department of Justice Shuts Down Backpage.com
In 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched an investigation into Backpage.com. Then, in April 2018, the website was seized by the DOJ and shut down. The website’s CEO, Carl Ferrer, and several of his top executives were arrested. They were charged with multiple counts of money laundering and conspiracy to facilitate prostitution. It should be noted that Backpage executives were not exactly forthcoming with investigators which fueled investigators to pursue further action.
The U.S. government filed criminal charges and civil action against Backpage.com. The government alleged that the website had violated federal laws by knowingly facilitating prostitution and sex trafficking. As part of their action, the government sought to seize the website’s assets, including its domain names, servers, and bank accounts.
Was the Backpage.com Shut-Down a Success?
The seizure of Backpage.com was heralded by some as a significant event in the fight against online sex trafficking and prostitution. However, it simply created other problems for those in the sex industry.
We at BonePage.com join many others who agree that the seizure and closing of Backpage only serves to drive illegal sex activity underground and that it does not solve the problem of sex trafficking and prostitution. In fact, it makes human trafficking harder to detect as the government lost a potentially effective tool for the investigation of human trafficking cases.
Other Sex Classified Sites Shut Down by the DOJ
Since the seizure of Backpage.com, several other adult classifieds websites have been shut down by the government. These other sites include MyRedBook, Rentboy, and CityVibe. The U.S. government has also pursued legal action even against online platforms that have no apparent association with prostitution. These actions have included Craigslist and Twitter for government accusations of facilitating prostitution and sex trafficking
The closing of Backpage.com also had a significant impact on sex workers and other individuals who used the website to advertise and find clients. Many sex workers, already marginalized and at risk of violence, lost a valuable platform to safely find clients.
Criminal Charges Against Backpage.com Executives
Backpage CEO Carl Ferrer and several site executives were arrested and charged with multiple counts of money laundering and conspiracy to facilitate prostitution. They were later convicted of felony charges associated with their operations at Backpage. This has obviously had a chilling effect on the sex industry in the United States, driving it underground.
FOSTA SESTA Legislation in the United States
FOSTA (Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act) and SESTA (Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act) is legislation that was passed by the U.S. Congress in 2018. These bills were directly related to the investigation against Backpage. FOSTA/SESTA aims to combat online sex trafficking and gives broad authority to investigators to hold website operators liable for the criminal acts of others. It remains to be seen if this legislation will ultimately be challenged and possibly overturned by the courts. Bascially FOSTA/SESTA is designed to hold online platforms and their operators liable for any illegal sex trafficking that takes place on their sites.
FOSTA and SESTA were passed in response to concerns about the proliferation of online sex trafficking, particularly on classifieds sites like Backpage.com. These laws make it a federal crime to operate a website that facilitates prostitution, and expands the definition of sex trafficking to include the promotion of prostitution. We’ll avoid going down the rabbit hole on a discussion of the distinctions between legal escorts and illegal prostitution.
FOSTA/SESTA allows law enforcement to investigate and prosecute websites that facilitate sex trafficking. The laws have widely been criticized for their negative impact on sex workers. Critics point out that the laws will make it harder for them to work safely, and that it pushes the sex trade further underground.
BonePage.com Measures to Replace Backpage.com
BonePage.com disagrees with the overly broad and vague measures of FOSTA/SESTA. However, we are adamantly opposed to human trafficking and the victimization of innocent people. We have taken measures to ensure that BonePage.com operates within the laws of the United States and other jurisdictions where our ads appear.
Due to the existing legal climate in the United States, BonePage does not allow advertising for the purpose of prostitution. We aim to address the problem of human trafficking by requiring that our members join an online dating or sex classifieds site in order to establish identification and legal age status.
The BonePage.com team will monitor legal actions in the U.S. and comply with all laws. We look forward to allowing escort ads directly on our site if the legal landscape changes in the future.
Report Human Trafficking
BonePage.com is opposed to human trafficking and urges your participation in reporting suspected human trafficking cases. You may get more information and file reports online at humantraffickinghotline.org
About the Author
Sienna Mitchell, First Amendment Reporter
Sienna Mitchell is a contributing author for BonePage.com adult classifieds. She is a talented and experienced First Amendment reporter and published author based in Phoenix, Arizona. With a passion for uncovering stories and exposing injustices within the adult entertainment community, Sienna has made a name for herself as a reporter who focuses on the intersection of first amendment issues and the adult entertainment industry.
Sienna’s prior experience as a webcam model gives her a unique perspective on the challenges faced by sex workers and adult performers. Her experience and extensive knowledge of the adult industry makes her an authoritative voice on the subject. Sienna Mitchell is a skilled journalist whose work is making a difference in the adult entertainment industry.
Contact Sienna Mitchell: SiennaMitchell@teamdnp.com
Link to Sienna’s Bio: Sienna Mitchell