NYT: Craigslist to pull in $36 million with controversial ads

The popular website Craigslist, which is used to post classified advertisements, is under fire for promoting prostitution, according to a recent report by the New York Times.

Craigslist is expected to bring in $36 million this year, largely from its controversial sex advertisements, many of which "blatantly advertise prostitution", the article says.

The Times says these sex advertisements will propel the website to increase its revenue by 22 percent in 2010.

Rachel Lloyd, executive director of Girls Educational and Mentoring Services, which offers help to victims of sexual exploitation, says that Craigslist is reckless with how it monitors its advertisements, and has facilitated the sex trafficking of children.

"Craigslist has not given any indication that they are outraged and disturbed that their site is the primary way children are bought in the country", Lloyd told the newspaper. "All they have done is made cosmetic changes".

Craigslist says that it has been doing "the most responsible job" in combating child exploitation and human trafficking.

The report says that the projected profits come as the website doubles its fees for classified sex ads.

In related news, a website that promoted sex tourism in Thailand was recently taken down. Under pressure from California State University, professor Kenneth Ng "reluctantly" took down the website, according to Inside Higher Ed.