The government of the United States confiscated Backpage.com, the controversial classified website. A notice informing visitors of the seizure was posted on the site, and a spokesperson for the Department of Justice confirmed the notice.
According to the notice, the FBI and other federal and local agencies confiscated the website and its affiliates "as part of a coercive action." The notice provides little additional information, saying that the Department of Justice will provide more soon.
Backpage was accused of facilitating sex trafficking and prostitution through its adult section, a controversy that took years to relax and culminated with the arrest of the company's CEO and the eventual elimination of the section for adults.
The FBI can confirm that police activity is taking place, "said a spokesman for the FBI field office in Phoenix The Verge The office forwarded further questions to the Justice Department, which did not respond Immediate request for comments.
Last month, Congress passed controversial legislation designed to give law enforcement more power to stop online sex trafficking, and the Backpage became a central part of the discussion. on legislation, which was opposed by many sex workers.
