Rights4Girls Statement in Support of Senate Report on Backpage

Rights4Girls commends the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation’s recent report and examination of Backpage.com for its role in facilitating child sex trafficking. The Subcommittee’s report findings are beyond troubling and suggest that Backpage has played a much more significant role than previously believed by editing ads to remove words such as “schoolgirl,”or “amber alert” that strongly indicate child exploitation, instead of removing or reporting such ads. The Subcommittee’s findings make clear that this is not about attacking civil liberties—it’s about holding bad actors accountable for the harm they cause our most vulnerable children,” says Rights4Girls Executive Director Yasmin Vafa. “For years, survivors and their families have urged lawmakers to examine Backpage.com’s role in perpetuating online exploitation. We are grateful to Senators Rob Portman and Claire McCaskill for leading these efforts to seek justice for the countless survivors exploited through Backpage.