Recommendation to Enforce a Subpoena Issued to the CEO of Backpage.com, LLC
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Serial Number
Levin Center Identifier
Document Date
2015-11-19
Report Length
195 pages
Policy Agendas Project Major Code
Policy Agendas Project Minor Code
Additional, Minority, Dissenting Views
Report Type
Found Using Methodology
Yes
Subcommittee(s)
Commission(s)
Idependent Author(s)
Brief Executive Summary
On behalf of Senators Rob Portman and Claire McCaskill, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs issued a staff report that looks into Backpage.com and its CEO Carl Ferrer, as the company refuses to cooperate with legal subpoenas concerning its connection with possible human trafficking. The report looks into the company's ability to not comply with the subpoena as well as other substantive evidence that may indicate possible associations with human trafficking and finds that First Amendment does not shield Backpage from compliance with the lawful subpoena. Furthermore, the report finds that the company engages in activities such as editing ads, not retaining metadata, and restructuring its website to evade the blocking of credit card transactions from certain banking institutions which raises questions about its possible role in human trafficking.