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I read an article (there are several) detailing the controversy between a police officer and Craigslist.com’s adult classifieds. The officer claims the site is promoting illegal and unhealthy activity. Because the internet allows individuals to mask their identity, it is difficult for law officials to find activity that is illegal and harmful. The officer produced witnesses, under aged girls who testified that the availability of the adult classifieds was too tempting; as such they solicited using the website. Craigslist.com issued a response to the officers’ accusations. Craigslist.com was astute in their stand against illegal activity, they noted that stand is posted on the website in multiple places. To their credit they have fully cooperated with law enforcement in every circumstance where illegal activity was suspected. An interesting fact to consider is how Craigslist.com charges a fee to list an adult classified add. This could open the door for Craigslist.com to be categorized as a “pimp” and from what I understand make all activity tied to the adult classifieds illegal. However, craigslist.com has donated all the money to charity.

This situation opens questions of corporate responsibility, appropriate regulatory action, and the very sensitive and pertinent issue of pedophile activity on the internet. For me personally I have a very astute position against any activity that harms children. But, these girls who are using the website illegally are 16-18. Furthermore these girls are eliciting themselves voluntarily. So for me there was a bit of a dilemma; in today’s society girls and boys are exposed to more mature material and circumstances than they were just 50 years ago. It seems to me that the result is teens behave on a more mature level than previous generations. Whether this mature level of behavior is successful or not could be debated, but I don’t think it can be denied that kids must grow up at an earlier age. So when is a child an adult? It seems to me that this issue opens that issue for debate. Maybe 18 is too young, maybe it is too old. Either way the internet allows for children of younger ages to successfully engage sexual activity. My question is, “why are they doing that?” Does our society put undue pressure on them at an early age only to hold up a huge “stop” sign for them until they are 18? Again, I believe wholeheartedly in protecting the innocense of children, but this activity seems a difficult one to properly tackle via larger socital means.

With the opportunity for under aged teens to successfully engage sexual activity what is society to do? It seems to me that if Craigslist.com is banned from facilitating this activity I do not think it will be hard for this activity to find another place in the internet. This question leads me to the question of what is appropriate regulatory action? If honest websites such as Craigslist.com are shut down what freedoms might society be willing to surrender to resolve this issue? Not that I’d advocate no action, but I do think this particular issue has potential to be the Achilles heel to societies free use of the internet. My concern is that websites such as Craigslist.com act in a manner that at least within the legal perameters set by government and society. But where those perameters are inadequate to prevent harmful activity I am leery of further regulation. Where does one draw the line? I’m not totally sure, this issue is a difficult one for me.

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