Ontario is asking the online service Craigslist to stop carrying ads for prostitutes under its adult services section, just as it has done in several U.S. states.
Three Ontario cabinet ministers signed the Sept. 14 letter to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster applauding the service for agreeing to requests south of the border to shut down links to prostitution-related ads.
The Ontario ministers noted Craigslist has not taken similar action in Canadian cities, where there are still hundreds of ads offering sex in exchange for money.
The ministers “respectfully” asked that Craigslist immediately take the same initiatives with its sites serving Ontario, calling it a “matter of simple fairness.”
Ontario says Craigslist is uniquely positioned to lead by example and to exert influence over other advertising venues to follow in its footsteps.
The province says it will continue to support organizations that provide services to victims of human trafficking and child exploitation.
