The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) together with other law enforcement agencies seized Backpage.com, a sex classified ads website.
On Friday, Backpage.com posted a banner on its website about the law enforcement action against it.
Other agencies that helped shutdown the website include the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal investigation Division, and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, (CEOS) of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona and Central District of California, the state Attorneys General of California and Texas also participated in the law enforcement action.
Last year, five members of Congress demanded U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to investigate Backpage.com for allegedly facilitating sex trafficking. The website used the Communications Decency Act to evade accountability for the content of its ads.
Earlier this year, the U.S. House and Senate passed the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA). The bill holds websites accountable for knowingly facilitating sex trafficking online. It also provides greater legal protections for victims. President Donald Trump is yet to sign the legislation into law.
