Craigslist appears to have shut down the "adult services" section of its website at the urging of 17 U.S. state attorneys general.
On Saturday, the section had been replaced by a black and white "censured" logo on the U.S. version of the classified ads website, though it remains active in Canada under the title "erotic services."
It's unclear at this time whether the change will take effect here as well.
So far, Craigslist has not commented on the decision. The company has faced continuous pressure to eliminate the section, which critics call a front for prostitution.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who helped push for the change, said in a statement the company could set a good example for others if it has indeed closed the controversial section.
Blumenthal said he was trying to confirm Craigslist's official policy going forward.
The 17 AGs argued in an Aug. 24 letter that Craigslist should scrap the section because it couldn't fully eliminate potentially illegal ads tied to prostitution or child trafficking.
Last year, a U.S. federal judge threw out a lawsuit that aimed to abolish the section, saying not all services advertised in it constituted prostitution. The judge also ruled the San Francisco-based website isn't to blame if posters violate its anti-prostitution policy.
Craigslist had already moved to rename the section, initially called "erotic services," after a Boston student was charged with killing a masseuse authorities say he met through an ad in that category.
With files from The Associated Press
