By Janice Tibbetts, Postmedia News
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson has written Craigslist, appealing to the free online advertiser to remove classifieds for erotic sex services. File photo.Photograph by: Blair Gable/Reuters
While such ads are not illegal in Canada, Nicholson said he is taking aim at Craigslist because the classified advertising giant, unlike newspapers and other advertisers, does not appear to take any precautions to ensure it is not getting into the business of child exploitation.
"It seems to me with Craigslist, there's no regulation at all as to what goes on," said Nicholson, who added his voice to an uproar that has persisted in Canada since the California-based website shut down its adult services section in early September, following complaints from state and federal attorneys general.
Nicholson sent a letter to Jim Buckmaster, Craigslist chief executive officer, following similar appeals from several provincial justice ministers. British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario have also lobbied Buckmaster.
"Many of these ads can facilitate human trafficking, there is no policing, no editing of them, it's a considerable problem and I think it would be appropriate for Craigslist to remove them completely," Nicholson told reporters on Parliament Hill.
"I think they should listen to what we have to say, they have taken action in the U.S.A. and they should do the same with their Canadian websites."
The justice minister also said he will introduce legislation Thursday aimed at cracking down on child sexual exploitation on the Internet by stiffening existing penalties and creating two new unspecified offences.
"We will be increasing existing penalties, in addition we will be covering off some loopholes that exist in the law," said Nicholson, whose initiative follows through on a promise in the March throne speech opening Parliament.
Benjamin Perrin, a law professor at the University of British Columbia, has called for criminal charges against Craigslist, Buckmaster, and founder Craig Newmark for "aiding and abetting human trafficking and prostitution of minors."
In a recent opinion piece published in several Postmedia newspapers, Perrin asserted that sex traffickers have relied on Craigslist as a fast and free way to sell their victims.
"Our country needs someone to stand up to Craigslist and demand they end the open flesh market that includes selling our country's daughters, enabling traffickers to profit lucratively," wrote Perrin, author of the new book Invisible Chains: Canada's Underground World of Human Trafficking.
He also noted that Craigslist lawyers recently told a U.S. congressional hearing that there has been "dramatic growth" in the number of erotic services advertisements in major Canadian cities.
Buckmaster did not respond to an email request for comment. However, the Vancouver Sun reported last month that Buckmaster wrote the B.C. government earlier this year, saying that the online advertiser has been in confidential discussions with the RCMP for about a year about how to eliminate "misuse of Craiglist's services."
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Canada's government takes aim at Craigslist
Source: Canada.com
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