Craiglist Sued For Allowing Sellers To Ask For What They Want

Craiglist is being sued:

A Chicago fair housing group has sued groundbreaking Web site Craigslist for allegedly publishing discriminatory advertisements, a case that could test the legal liabilities of online ad venues.

The suit is part of an emerging attempt by housing watchdogs nationally to hold online classified sites to the same strict standards as the publishers of print classifieds, such as newspapers.

The suit is potentially significant because it suggests that the rules for an Internet site should be the same as for a traditional publisher, in which every ad should be vetted to conform with the law. But that notion contradicts the way the Internet has blossomed, where informal communities tend to police themselves and free expression is valued.

This is a huge issue because those offering things to sell on the internet don't want to have to pretend that they don't want a certain type of buyer.A lot of these 1960's laws to prevent discrimination are about to come under attack because they are at odds with the U.S. Constitution.The liberty of contract didn't go away just because some Congressmen and Supreme Court justices want it to.Millions of things offered on Craiglist might discriminate.But,that's what capitalism is all about making choices.