Classifieds website Craigslist has closed down its personals section following the passing of a bill that aims to curb online sex trafficking.

"Any tool or service can be misused. We can't take such risk without jeopardising all our other services, so we are regretfully taking Craigslist personals offline," the company tweeted on Friday.

The US Senate passed legislation on Wednesday aimed at penalising website operators that facilitate online sex trafficking, chipping away at a bedrock legal shield for the technology industry.

The bill passed the House of Representatives last month and President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law soon.

Reuters