I read on Wikipedia that "Craigslist was sued by some 40 US state attorneys general, local prosecutors, and law enforcement officials.".  

I just don't understand the driving force behind such a collective effort to sue CL! I mean this country can not agree on health care, tax reform, homeland security policies, but when it comes to enforcing anti-prostitution, change is possible?! Who exactly writes to their elected official saying they want CL shutdown? What is the feedback loop for why anyone would care?

It was not the bible thumping conservatives.

From a thread on P & R

I don't know who the folks are on that list. I hadn't read that board. You don't have to be a conservative to thump.

the religious groups (they have funding ~ lots of poor saps giving them their grocery and utility money) probably started the ball rolling by contacting their local LE and politicians. Once a religious group steps up on their soap box it's hard to knock them off.

Again, just a guess.

the attack on Craig was fruitless as dozens of imitators have risen to take its place. We are in a period of Victorian  morality and Victorians like to do things behind closed doors. When Craig started showing tits and  ass and transsexuals with erect penises  with a price tag, the powerful ones saw red and rushed to masturbate, then took action. Craigs helped take prostitution off the street and this was a public service, but moving it out of view did not satisfy the prudes. The rapidity of the internet, the low cost of advertising led to a plethora of ads and eventually the powers took umbrage and moved against them.

When it comes to fighting prostitution LE has always chosen the path of least resistance. In the past this was always the common streetwalker.  

Well, Craig's List came along and simply drew way too much attention to itself.  The idea of ads for hookers appearing right there on the internet next to ads for used golf clubs was just too much for the sensationalistic news media to resist.  Once public interest was aroused LE had no choice but to pursue CL.  

LE can never stop prostitution. What they do is go after the low hanging fruit and that is what Craig's List became.

Religious groups make noise but not enough to get 40 states to agree. You need the horror stories of pimps and underage providers to spur that kind of response.  Once that happens then the AG can't ignore the noise. Notice there is not a similar  concerted effort to shut down Eros or review sites because we police ourselves.

And what's being advertised there isn't even necessarily illegal in Canada. The truth is, CL did become a haven for abusive pimps, human traffickers, people whoring underage girls, ripoffs/thieves and other assorted scum. There were many reasons to avoid it, that being among them.

from being embarrassed or discomfited by provider ads.

I have always argued that advertising on CL was just jumping up and down asking for all the wrong kind of attention.
 
Twitter is potentially problematic for the very same reason.

The hobby is usually ignored unless it is visible.

The things that make the hobby visible and therefor annoying to the wrong people:

advertising on sites where "decent folks" travel

outre behavior - lack of simple courtesy and common sense to be discreet

DRUGS

personal drama - divorce / custody cases, drunk and disorderly charges, being
in the system for one thing or another

anything REMOTELY smacking of "trafficking" which has now been redefined to mean
a hell of a lot more than the statues intended....

providing while visiting this country without citizenship (legally or illegally)

All you have to do is read the news to figure this out....

but on the other hand...it's the uptight prissy ass soccer moms that create a demand for us open minded fun lovin' types.

Stephanie in Atlanta

In my long standing opinion, craigslist had guidelines they didn't follow. when I first advertised there i simply said something cute in the head line and then produced  my phone number. I didn't violate any photo rules.

the guys who effectively ran cl, (hobbyists) flagged me endlessly and messaged me requiring that I post prices and other things violating the rules there.

Every girl posted nasty photos and used code words or just came right out and said what they were trying to say and cl did NOTHING about it. If they had policed their site who know none of this would have come about about.

But that is one girls humble opinion. by the way they banned me as soon as I posted a juicy pic no more revealing THAN ANY OTHER GALS PIC. but the guys, hobbyist again, would write to me and tell me I was ruining the reputation f cl because of my age and weight. Go Figure

and cl became a haters site where flagging was the true hobby






But

my point exactly

Craig's should have stripped out the erotic section and ran it as a separate web service with links perhaps in the standard publication for soccer moms who also enjoyed playing ball when the kids were in school....

most of the anti trafficking orgs are "faith based".

they submit their "expert" research to congress

http://polarisproject.org

they solicit donations to help victims but their outreach programs are done in collaboration of law enforcement, why ?   to "identify victims of trafficking"  and putting the victims in jail... then they offer help and want her to go to "disciple" classes

http://www.beautyfromashes.org

there's over 100 of these orgs

in my opinion, if you're soliciting funds to help victims while at the same time your pushing legislation that would increase funds for law enforcement, knowing that all these victims go to jail, including the children, then you are committing fraud.

ive already filed attorney general complaints of my own.

CL erotic services is gone world-wide