[SIZE=7]Goodbye, Craigslist personal ads. Those seeking casual sex will miss you.[/SIZE]
By Lisa Bonos Email the authorMarch 23
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Craiglist’s personal ads have been around since 1995, the early days of online dating, when looking for love on the Internet was heavy with stigma. In the two decades since, that stigma has lessened; 15 percent of adults report that they’ve used online dating sites or apps.
But as of Friday, the site’s personal ads no longer exist. Never fear: The site’s Missed Connections ads, which make for some of the Internet’s best voyeuristic reading, will remain — in the community section.
This week the U.S. Senate passed a bill to fight online sex trafficking, which could subject websites to more criminal and civil liability for the content that third parties publish on their platforms. As a result, Craigslist decided to remove its personal-ad section, posting the following statement: “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!”