• by Wendy Davis  @wendyndavis, November 6, 2008

Craigslist said Thursday that it had forged an agreement with 40 state attorneys general to institute procedures aimed at curbing prostitution ads.

Among other measures, Craigslist will soon start requiring a credit card and charging a "small" per-ad fee, which will be donated to charity. In addition, the company earlier this year began requiring "erotic services" advertisers to provide a telephone number--a move that resulted in 80% fewer ads in that category, the company said on its blog.

Craigslist also said it had filed 14 lawsuits against companies that sell software or other services that circumvent its defenses, including phone verification. "Craigslist will investigate and provide information to state attorneys general for the prosecution of those engaging in and facilitating criminal activity," the company added.

Richard Blumenthal, Attorney General of Connecticut, took the lead in forging this agreement. "Information is a powerful disincentive and disinfectant to purveyors of illegal sex. Prostitutes will hopefully stop using Craigslist to break the law, knowing that their posts could lead to arrest and conviction," Blumenthal said in a statement.

Blumenthal has been especially active in Internet safety issues. Along with North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper, Blumenthal chairs a nationwide attorney general coalition that is aiming to improve safety at social networking sites.

Other states signing the Craigslist agreement are: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam also joined in the deal.