This is the introduction to the Backpage.
Backpage.com was an online classified advertising website that was launched in 2004 as a competitor to Craigslist by the alternative newspaper chain New Times Media/New Times Media. Backpage.com was a competitor to Craigslist because it offered similar services (which would eventually become known as Village Voice Media or VVM).
Backpage is an online classifieds website that is comparable to Craigslist in that it enables users to post advertisements in a variety of categories, some of which are automotive, personal, jobs, rentals, and adult services. Backpage also has a section for personal ads. It didn't take long for it to pass over Craigslist and become the second most popular online classifieds site in the United States. [Citation needed]
In 2010, Craigslist's "adult services" section was forced to be taken down as a consequence of pressure from several state attorneys general and other opponents. According to these individuals, the website encouraged its users to participate in unlawful activities such as prostitution. Following the migration of the majority of the adult advertising market that had previously been hosted on Craigslist to other websites, Backpage emerged as the primary winner.
Backpage has resisted efforts to regulate the site until January 2017, when it ultimately shut down its adult section in front of congressional hearings. As a result, former critics of Craigslist were forced to redirect their attention to Backpage.
Backpage.com, who brought this action
Plaintiff Backpage.com's online classified advertising operation may be found on its website, which can be accessed by going to the URL "www.backpage.com." Backpage.com is the world's second largest online advertising business since it acts as a host for millions of adverts that are posted by advertisers from all over the world each and every month. Additionally, the website of Backpage.com is the second most viewed website in the entire world. The advertisements for the classifieds are arranged in a variety of categories, some of which include the following: state and city; local region; work and community; trade; purchase-Sales; rent; real estate; musicians; employment; dating; adults; and services. Backpage.com members are the ones that create and post the many adverts that can be found on the website. They are asked to pay anywhere from $5 to $10 to put an ad in the adult sector, but only $1 is needed to submit an ad in the dating section. Users are also given the chance to submit adverts for no additional cost. Customers of Backpage.com have the option of using a credit card to pay for the cost of an advertisement, in addition to the several other payment methods that are available to them. See generally Dkt.
Because of the Terms of Service of Backpage.com as well as the nature of the service itself, users are not permitted to post or engage in activities that are illegal while using the Backpage.com website. This applies to both the content they post and the actions they do. A former. B. Only adults over the age of 18 are allowed to post in adult sections that are designated for that purpose, and only adult content and explicit material may be published there. These sections cannot be accessed by minors. "obscene or obscene and genital or images that represent obscene imagery, actual or simulated sexual activity or nudity" are not allowed to be displayed on the ID card. Neither are photos that represent obscene imagery. Id. et al. AC ("Posting Rules"). Users are cautioned that any post that exploits a child in any way, shape, or form in any way will be reported to CyberTipline for the purposes of law enforcement and may result in criminal prosecution.
If a user on ID comes across an advertisement that does not comply with these guidelines, that user has the ability to report the advertisement to Backpage.com by clicking the link labeled "Report ad" that is located within the advertisement that they keep. This link is located within the advertisement that the user has kept. When the user does so, they are brought to a page where they can report an advertisement and select whether or not the advertisement includes "inappropriate or unlawful content," "uploaded too much spam," or is in the "wrong category." Users are given the instruction to send an email to the address abuse@backpage.com if they come across an advertisement that "appears to contain photos of threats to a child or child exploitation." On this webpage, the instruction can be found in the section labeled F.