craigslist accused of violating housing laws

A federal lawsuit filed in Chicago last week accuses the online site Craigslist of violating fair housing laws by publishing discriminatory classified ads. The lawsuit, filed by a group of lawyers working to enforce and gain awareness for civil rights, alleges that Craigslist broke the law by publishing 100 ads that violated the federal Fair Housing Act. The ads are said to exclude prospective buyers or tenants on the basis of race, gender or religion.

According to CNN, several Internet law experts said the suit seems likely to fail, citing a 1996 federal law that says an online service provider isn’t considered a publisher or a speaker when it merely passes along information provided by someone else.