Looks Like Henry McMaster Is Upset About His Lost Craigslist Photo Op As Well

from the oh-come-on... dept

Yesterday, Craigslist caved in to the demands of various state Attorneys General, and agreed to pre-moderate all of the “adult” ads that go on their site. This appeared to be exactly what many grandstanding AGs had been asking for… but it appears that more than a few of them were upset that Craigslist did this without granting the AGs a chance to take credit for it. First, we had NY AG Andrew Cuomo’s petulent statement about how Craigslist never should have done this without first getting approval from Andrew Cuomo, and now the EFF points out a similar complaint from South Carolina AG Henry McMaster, who says that he’s going to continue his plan to throw Craigslist management in jail unless they remove all sexually explicit material from the site.

It’s difficult to know where to start on this, but McMaster’s understanding of the law doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the actual law. First off, plenty of sexually explicit material is not illegal. Second, even if the material is somehow illegal, the liability is on those who posted it, not Craigslist.

Oh yeah. It’s probably worth noting that a similarity between both Cuomo and McMaster? Both are apparently (definitely in McMaster’s case) seeking their respective state’s governorship… You would think that abusing a high-level gov’t position for grandstanding and censorship would disqualify one from getting to run a state, but apparently not.

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Companies: craigslist

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Comments on “Looks Like Henry McMaster Is Upset About His Lost Craigslist Photo Op As Well”

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21 Comments
Freedom says:

Got a better idea...

Got a better idea… block Craiglist’s in their states and put the pressure back on this a**holes for them to explain why. Hell, you can even spin it and say you are trying to help the classifieds in these states recover. Time for these sites to stand up to this sort of BS.

Of course the real reason Cuomo and McMaster don’t like these ads is that they don’t want any competition – you know, there can be the only “one” whore in town and that’s them.

We complain that other countries would dare to try and toss Google Execs into jail, but we get AGs in this country trying to do the same to Craiglist Execs and folks are “ok” with this????

Freedom

AnonCow says:

It is sad to see websites like CL or Amazon on the Kindle folding to misguided, wrong-headed, or just plain stupid people using them for press ops to move forward their own stupid agendas.

It is a slippery slope and the U.S. is standing on two banana peels at the top of the really steep part of that slope.

The correct answer from Craig and others in similar situations should be a hearty “fuck you” with a chorus of “you tell ’em Craig” that drowns out these misguided simpletons.

Threats to throw Craig Newmark in jail should be met with abject derision that drives the deliverer of the treats right out of his elected offices.

Anonymous Coward says:

Creg’s List and all others have the concept completely wrong.

1.Creg’s List is a business and the fight that the free speach grop believes in cost money, to Creg’s List. If Creg’s List fights then there is a loss of money due to: mad customers, state fines, and or lawyers fees.
2.The Pirates Bay has the right idea. Place the server in some location that is immune to legal harassment.
3.Let it be known that there is such a list operating in a legal friendly environment. Do not link directly from Creg’s List to the new site. Just place a notice that adult list may be viewed at (blank) sites, that such sites are not affiliated with Creg’s List, and that they operate under the law of what ever country.
4.Presto more money. Money from a clean Creg’s List and money from the legal adult entertainment and no body mad.

Should not have to be this way but the only other option is to loose money.

PS. This is why almost all world shipping is registered with flags of convenience. Same idea. Runaway government.

Dan says:

Craig’s list needs to call the AG’s bluff and file a Rule 11 complaint against the AGs. Then of course there is the counter suit in federal court for damages and restriction of interstate commerce. Its time to show these assholes what a new asshole feels like. Apparently the AG’s don’t understand the Section 230 protections so maybe public humiliation might work better. Nothing like an AG that does not know the law, personally I don’t think any of them has the balls to charge or try to indite because they know its a loosing proposition.

Dan says:

Craig’s list needs to call the AG’s bluff and file a Rule 11 complaint against the AGs. Then of course there is the counter suit in federal court for damages and restriction of interstate commerce. Its time to show these assholes what a new asshole feels like. Apparently the AG’s don’t understand the Section 230 protections so maybe public humiliation might work better. Nothing like an AG that does not know the law, personally I don’t think any of them has the balls to charge or try to indite because they know its a loosing proposition.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re:

Awesome comment. I love the giant sentence changing typos in an insult.

Either way, no one should ever point a finger at a politician. They are the product of the people’s desires. That’s right, I’m saying that most people want to be lied to.

If we didn’t constantly vote for these cats, they’d act differently.

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