Craigslist agrees to clamp down on erotic services

Craigslist has replaced its 'erotic services' section with an 'adult services' section

Online classified site Craigslist has agreed to remodel the way it handles postings for erotic services.

The company said on Wednesday that it will shut down its current 'erotic services' section and let all of the postings expire.

Craigslist will instead offer a new section called 'adult services'. Postings will be individually screened by company moderators, and obscene or illegal content will be removed.

The decision comes after Craigslist was taken to task in many parts of the US after a man in New York allegedly used the service to hire a masseuse who was later killed.

Government officials expressed outrage at Craigslist's erotic section, which was described as an "internet brothel" and a haven for illegal activity. The company's reaction has brought mixed reviews.

"I am encouraged that Craigslist has agreed to fundamentally change how they operate and monitor their site," said Illinois attorney general Lisa Madigan. " The steps they are taking are the only effective way to prevent the exploitation of women and children."

New York attorney general Andrew Cuomo, however, was not sold on the plan. He dismissed the move as an attempt to avoid legal action, rather than a genuine effort to clean up its practices.

"Several weeks ago, we informed Craigslist of an impending criminal case that implicated its website," Cuomo said in a statement. "Rather than work with this office to prevent further abuses, Craigslist took unilateral action which we suspect will prove to be half-baked."