Craigslist has shut down all of its personal sections following the passage of an anti-online sex trafficking bill in Congress.
The advertisements site posted a statement on Friday announcing the move, specifically referring to the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) and the fact that the new law would make Craigslist liable for any illegal activity by its users.
“Any tool or service can be misused,” the statement said. “We can’t take such risk without jeopardizing all our other services, so we are regretfully taking craigslist personals offline. Hopefully we can bring them back some day.”
“To the millions of spouses, partners, and couples who met through craigslist, we wish you every happiness!” it continued.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate voted 97-2 to pass the bill, which aims to combat sex trafficking by taking aim at the web services used to facilitate the practice. It also makes it easier for victims to sue sites that fail to prevent exploitative content from appearing on its pages. President Trump is expected to sign the bill into law as soon as this week.