The story
Craigslist Personals was the internet’s anonymous, free, gloriously unfiltered meeting place — casual encounters, missed connections, strictly platonic and everything between. Craigslist shut the entire section within days of FOSTA/SESTA passing in March 2018 rather than absorb the legal liability. Nothing since has replicated its anything-goes reach, for better and worse.
What it did well
- Completely free and anonymous
- Served every conceivable niche
- “Missed Connections” was a cultural institution
Why it faded
- Shut down by FOSTA in 2018
- Zero verification made scams rampant
- Real safety risks