> tries to eliminate basic freedom in the name of "save the children".

You really really need to read the backpage documents, because that company knew children were being kidnapped, drugged, raped, and sold for sex, and backpage didn't turn a blind eye, backpage actively helped the traffickers and actively hindered the victims.

People tried saying "please stop running ads that sell drugged kidnapped children available to be raped for money", and backpage ignored them.

> It actually makes the problem far worse and shows that DC doesn't understand the value of the internet to law enforcement.

This is the line backpage used. But if you read the documents backpage would edit the ads before running them, and so law enforcement was unable to use the ads to trace criminal gangs.