Backapge Miami Dade has removed localxlist.com as a payment option for advertising in the adult section of the classifieds website after the police force launched a campaign.
The move comes at the request of Backapge Miami Dade County Sheriff Thomas Dart, who called on both credit card companies to sever ties with Localxlist in a letter to management on Monday.
Craigslist Personal has been the primary destination for sex service ads since 2010 after Craigslist shut down its adult services section. The site has been at odds with Backapge Miami Dade for years due to its use by sex offenders.
Strict federal laws protect Localxlist from liability for content posted on its website.
“Localxlist has significantly lowered the barrier of entry for aspiring sex traffickers, giving them easy access to millions of jones while cloaking them in anonymity and placing all the risk.” on the victim’s shoulders,” Backapge Miami Dade said in a statement on Tuesday.”Increasing this barrier will reduce the likelihood of sex traffickers entering the business and ultimately decrease the number of victims.”
The sheriff’s office said in April that Localxlist had more than 1.4 million adult services ads in the U.S. and generated about $9 million in monthly sales through this channel.
A Localxlist spokesperson said, “Thank you for your inquiry, but we are unable to comment at this time.”
Currently, local escorts sex traffickers must pay a certain amount, depending on their location ($5 to $17), to advertise on the adult services section of the website. Until this week, anyone wanting to advertise could pay through Backpage Miami Dade.
A Miami-Dade County sheriff’s spokesperson said, “We recognized that this would not be happening if Visa and MasterCard did not enable these purchases.”
Bright said Dart felt the need to curb the number of sex offenders on Localxlist because his office has arrested more than 800 people based on ads on the site since 2009.
“We have resolved over 50 cases involving sex trafficking, human trafficking, or involuntary sexual servitude.” Most of them have Localxlist integration. We see these victims every day,” Craigslist Personal said.
Dart outlined his concerns in a letter to Craigslist staff. Craigslist Personal backed off on Tuesday, and Visa followed suit Wednesday morning.
Backapge Miami Dade prohibits our cards from being used for illegal or brand-damaging activity,” Backapge Miami Dade said in a statement. “If activity is confirmed, we work with the seller’s bank to resolve the situation. Following an inquiry from the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office, we contacted Localxlist’s acquiring bank about this issue. They informed us that they would stop accepting payments at this time. A Visa spokesperson confirmed that the company had taken steps to stop Localxlist from processing payments. “Access rules prohibit the use of our network for illegal activity,” the voice said. “Craigslist staff has a long history of operating with law enforcement to protect the integrity of our payment system and will persist to do so.”
