The pop classified ads website Backpage was usurp on Friday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation , Gizmodo has confirmed .

It stay undecipherable why the website was seized . ”The Court has ruled that the pillowcase stay seal and we have nothing to report today , ” a Justice Department interpreter said .

Backpage ’s server were seized as part of a joint jurisprudence enforcement operation involve the FBI , the US Postal Service , and the Internal Revenue Service . The legal action was supported by res publica way in Arizona , California , and Texas , the Justice Department said .

Argentina’s President Javier Milei (left) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., holding a chainsaw in a photo posted to Kennedy’s X account on May 27. 2025.

FBI officials were see at the Phoenix home of Backpage founder Michael Lacey earlier today .

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— 12 News ( @12News)April 7 , 2018

William Duplessie

The Justice Department was beseech by lawmakers last year to enquire Backpage afterThe Washington Postuncovered documents that show up the website was not only in control of sex activity - pertain ads , but had take a company in the Philippines to attract sex - work advertisers aside from Backpage ’s rivalry .

In 2016 , three Backpage executives , including CEO Carl Ferrer , were arrested on pimping - related charges . The lawsuit was dismissed , however , after a California judge prevail that Ferrer and his colleagues were not responsible for illegal advertising posted on Backpage .

Under segment 203 of the Communications Decency Act , website operator can not be hold nonimmune for illicit acts committed by third - parties while using their services . The intent behind the section was to protect fresh form on-line business from being trounce by lawsuits halt from the criminalness of users over whom the businesses had no control .

Starship Test 9

Citing Backpage , House and Senate lawmakers introduced bills this year — the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act ( FOSTA ) and Stop enable Sex Traffickers Act ( SESTA ) , severally — think to target web site operators who , to cite SESTA directly , are “ knowingly assist , support , or facilitating ” in sex trafficking online .

SESTA was passed by the Senate last calendar month and FOSTA was turn over by the House in February , but neither bill has become jurisprudence .

SESTA and FOSTA have been wide criticized by experts who say the billhook are probable to led to censorship online and increased fury against sex actor .

Lilo And Stitch 2025

Sex worker have become more and more reliant in the retiring tenner on site commit to escorts , as well as online classified Page . work on-line help keep sex proletarian good , counselor-at-law say , by keeping them off the streets and allowing them to freely exchange information about potentially dangerous clients .

Sen. Ron Wyden , one of only two lawmakers to vote against the senate banker’s bill , noted infloor remarkslast calendar month that SESTA was n’t really need for the Justice Department to take natural action against Backpage .

Although the commission behind Friday ’s seizure continue unclear , Wyden nevertheless appears to have been proven right .

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