Financial censorship - Revision history

Drakeula: Further reading - value based pricing

2025-10-12T05:35:47Z

GeeseAreDeadly: Added wikipedia articles to 'payment processors' expanded the steam section, alongside a source. Also provided the same source for the itch section.

2025-09-02T23:41:14Z

Added wikipedia articles to 'payment processors' expanded the steam section, alongside a source. Also provided the same source for the itch section.

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:41, 2 September 2025
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	{{Stub}}		{{Stub}}

	'''Financial censorship''' is the practice of major [[payment processors]] refusing to process transactions for individuals or entities that do not align with their values. Although some banks and processors must comply with the law by avoiding known criminal activity, some institutions take a heavy-handed approach in this regard, leading to the censorship of legal adult content,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Reitman \|first=Rainey \|date=2012-02-29 \|title=Legal Censorship: PayPal Makes a Habit of Deciding What Users Can Read \|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250829181309/https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read \|archive-date=2025-08-29 \|access-date=2025-08-29 \|website=Electronic Frontier Foundation}}</ref> medical marijuana advocacy,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Flitter \|first=Emily \|date=2018-08-22 \|title=Wells Fargo closes bank account of candidate who supports marijuana \|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/22/wells-fargo-closes-bank-account-of-candidate-who-supports-marijuana.html \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250829181619/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/22/wells-fargo-closes-bank-account-of-candidate-who-supports-marijuana.html \|archive-date=2025-08-29 \|access-date=2025-08-29 \|website=CNBC}}</ref> and other incidents. Companies like PayPal have a long history of censorship; although, when major payment processors such as Visa and Mastercard censor individuals or business entities, they effectively ban those people from engaging in payment transactions at all. This is due to their dominant position in global finance with no widely-adopted alternative.		'''Financial censorship''' is the practice of major [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payment_processor '''payment processors'''] refusing to process transactions for individuals or entities that do not align with their values. Although some banks and processors must comply with the law by avoiding known criminal activity, some institutions take a heavy-handed approach in this regard, leading to the censorship of legal adult content,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Reitman \|first=Rainey \|date=2012-02-29 \|title=Legal Censorship: PayPal Makes a Habit of Deciding What Users Can Read \|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250829181309/https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read \|archive-date=2025-08-29 \|access-date=2025-08-29 \|website=Electronic Frontier Foundation}}</ref> medical marijuana advocacy,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Flitter \|first=Emily \|date=2018-08-22 \|title=Wells Fargo closes bank account of candidate who supports marijuana \|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/22/wells-fargo-closes-bank-account-of-candidate-who-supports-marijuana.html \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250829181619/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/22/wells-fargo-closes-bank-account-of-candidate-who-supports-marijuana.html \|archive-date=2025-08-29 \|access-date=2025-08-29 \|website=CNBC}}</ref> and other incidents. Companies like PayPal have a long history of censorship; although, when major payment processors such as Visa and Mastercard censor individuals or business entities, they effectively ban those people from engaging in payment transactions at all. This is due to their dominant position in global finance with no widely-adopted alternative.

	==Why it is a problem==		==Why it is a problem==

	*~~Example Text~~		*This could allow payment processors to censor media they do not like, by refusing to process payments for that specific type of media.
	*~~Example Text~~		*Very anti-consumer, not allowing you to purchase the legal media that you want.

	==Notable incidents==		==Notable incidents==
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	''Main article:'' [[Valve allows ISPs and payment processors to censor content on Steam\|Valve allows financial censorship of Steam games]]		''Main article:'' [[Valve allows ISPs and payment processors to censor content on Steam\|Valve allows financial censorship of Steam games]]

	In July 2025, [[Steam]], an online platform and digital marketplace for video games and related computer software and assets, added a new rule to their [https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/gettingstarted/onboarding#5 publishing guidelines] against "in particular, certain kinds of adult only content", and proceeded to withdraw hundreds of titles from sale on the platform.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Koselke \|first=Anna \|date=2025-07-18 \|title=Valve confirms pressure from banks and card companies is to blame for the storefront axing adult Steam games: "Loss of payment methods would prevent customers from being able to purchase other titles" \|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250726022008/https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ \|archive-date=26 Jul 2025 \|access-date=15 Aug 2025 \|work=GamesRadar+ \|quote=Judging by the information available on SteamDB, over 100 games have been marked as "retired" from Valve's storefront in just two days – many of which are titles with adult-only content.}}</ref>		In July 2025, [[Steam]], an online platform and digital marketplace for video games and related computer software and assets, added a new rule to their [https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/gettingstarted/onboarding#5 publishing guidelines] against "in particular, certain kinds of adult only content", and proceeded to withdraw hundreds of titles from sale on the platform.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Koselke \|first=Anna \|date=2025-07-18 \|title=Valve confirms pressure from banks and card companies is to blame for the storefront axing adult Steam games: "Loss of payment methods would prevent customers from being able to purchase other titles" \|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250726022008/https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ \|archive-date=26 Jul 2025 \|access-date=15 Aug 2025 \|work=GamesRadar+ \|quote=Judging by the information available on SteamDB, over 100 games have been marked as "retired" from Valve's storefront in just two days – many of which are titles with adult-only content.}}</ref> This was due to a demand from payment processors [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Inc. '''Visa Inc.'''] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastercard '''Mastercard'''] after multiple complaints from a group called [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_Shout '''Collective Shout'''] <ref name = "Visa-Mastercard-Censorship">{{Cite news \| last=Hansford \| first=Amelia \| title=Why are Visa and Mastercard banning ‘adult’ purchases? Here’s everything you need to know \| url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/08/04/visa-mastercard-adult-purchases/ \| website=ThePinkNews \| date=2025-08-04 \| access-date=2025-09-02 \| url-status=live \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250814182300/https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/08/04/visa-mastercard-adult-purchases/ \| archive-date=2025-08-14}}</ref>

	===Itch.io===		===Itch.io===
	In July 2025, [[Itch.io]], a platform for many indie games, delisted "all adult {{Wplink\|Not safe for work\|NSFW}} content" from their storefront. Later that month, they restored all NSFW games, as long as they're free. Currently, they are in negotiations with payment processors to start restoring some paid titles, but they have acknowledged that this will see some titles permanently removed from the platform.		In July 2025, [[Itch.io]], a platform for many indie games, delisted "all adult {{Wplink\|Not safe for work\|NSFW}} content" from their storefront. Later that month, they restored all NSFW games, as long as they're free. Currently, they are in negotiations with payment processors to start restoring some paid titles, but they have acknowledged that this will see some titles permanently removed from the platform. <ref name = "Visa-Mastercard-Censorship" />

	===Wikileaks, 2011===		===Wikileaks, 2011===

SinexTitan: /* Possible Solutions */ fixed the typo

2025-08-31T17:00:47Z

Possible Solutions: fixed the typo

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:00, 31 August 2025
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	==Possible Solutions==		==Possible Solutions==

	*Cryptocurrency such as ~~B/ittcoin~~<!-- Spelling this correctly will refuse the edit as spam -->		*Cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin or Monero<!-- Spelling this correctly will refuse the edit as spam -->
	*Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)		*Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)
	*[https://www.taler.net GNU Taler] is open source and allows for payments that are anonymous for the payer but not the entity receiving the money		*[https://www.taler.net GNU Taler] is open source and allows for payments that are anonymous for the payer but not the entity receiving the money

Beanie Bo: linked to steam censorship in a more appropriate spot

2025-08-31T14:05:41Z

linked to steam censorship in a more appropriate spot

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:05, 31 August 2025
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	===Steam===		===Steam===
			''Main article:'' [[Valve allows ISPs and payment processors to censor content on Steam\|Valve allows financial censorship of Steam games]]

	In July 2025, [[Steam]], an online platform and digital marketplace for video games and related computer software and assets, added a new rule to their [https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/gettingstarted/onboarding#5 publishing guidelines] against "in particular, certain kinds of adult only content", and proceeded to withdraw hundreds of titles from sale on the platform.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Koselke \|first=Anna \|date=2025-07-18 \|title=Valve confirms pressure from banks and card companies is to blame for the storefront axing adult Steam games: "Loss of payment methods would prevent customers from being able to purchase other titles" \|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250726022008/https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ \|archive-date=26 Jul 2025 \|access-date=15 Aug 2025 \|work=GamesRadar+ \|quote=Judging by the information available on SteamDB, over 100 games have been marked as "retired" from Valve's storefront in just two days – many of which are titles with adult-only content.}}</ref>		In July 2025, [[Steam]], an online platform and digital marketplace for video games and related computer software and assets, added a new rule to their [https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/gettingstarted/onboarding#5 publishing guidelines] against "in particular, certain kinds of adult only content", and proceeded to withdraw hundreds of titles from sale on the platform.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Koselke \|first=Anna \|date=2025-07-18 \|title=Valve confirms pressure from banks and card companies is to blame for the storefront axing adult Steam games: "Loss of payment methods would prevent customers from being able to purchase other titles" \|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250726022008/https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ \|archive-date=26 Jul 2025 \|access-date=15 Aug 2025 \|work=GamesRadar+ \|quote=Judging by the information available on SteamDB, over 100 games have been marked as "retired" from Valve's storefront in just two days – many of which are titles with adult-only content.}}</ref>

Beanie Bo: removed Collective Shout from the See Also section

2025-08-31T14:03:01Z

removed Collective Shout from the See Also section

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:03, 31 August 2025
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	From Visa, Mastercard, Bank of America, PayPal, and Western Union.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Holden \|first=Michael \|date=2011-10-24 \|title=WikiLeaks says "blockade" threatens its existence \|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-wikileaks-idUSTRE79N46K20111024/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250829181835/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-wikileaks-idUSTRE79N46K20111024/ \|archive-date=2025-08-29 \|access-date=2025-08-29 \|website=Reuters}}</ref>		From Visa, Mastercard, Bank of America, PayPal, and Western Union.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Holden \|first=Michael \|date=2011-10-24 \|title=WikiLeaks says "blockade" threatens its existence \|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-wikileaks-idUSTRE79N46K20111024/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250829181835/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-wikileaks-idUSTRE79N46K20111024/ \|archive-date=2025-08-29 \|access-date=2025-08-29 \|website=Reuters}}</ref>

	==~~See also~~==		==Possible Solutions==
	~~[[Collective Shout]]~~

	~~== Possible Solutions ==~~		*Cryptocurrency such as B/ittcoin<!-- Spelling this correctly will refuse the edit as spam -->
			*Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)
	* Cryptocurrency such as B/ittcoin <!-- Spelling this correctly will refuse the edit as spam -->		*[https://www.taler.net GNU Taler] is open source and allows for payments that are anonymous for the payer but not the entity receiving the money
	* Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)
	* [https://www.taler.net GNU Taler] is open source and allows for payments that are anonymous for the payer but not the entity receiving the money

	==External links==		==External links==

2A02:810D:548D:E500:2C4B:3CEF:84C6:48FF: Add a section with possible solutions

2025-08-30T18:50:54Z

Add a section with possible solutions

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:50, 30 August 2025
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	==See also==		==See also==
	[[Collective Shout]]		[[Collective Shout]]

			== Possible Solutions ==

			* Cryptocurrency such as B/ittcoin <!-- Spelling this correctly will refuse the edit as spam -->
			* Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)
			* [https://www.taler.net GNU Taler] is open source and allows for payments that are anonymous for the payer but not the entity receiving the money

	==External links==		==External links==

SinexTitan: /* References */ fixed up the citations and archived them

2025-08-29T18:20:04Z

References: fixed up the citations and archived them

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:20, 29 August 2025
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	{{Stub}}		{{Stub}}

	'''Financial censorship''' is the practice of major [[payment processors]] refusing to process transactions for individuals or entities that do not align with their values. Although some banks and processors must comply with the law by avoiding known criminal activity, some institutions take a heavy-handed approach in this regard, leading to the censorship of legal adult content,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=~~EFF~~ \|title=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read \|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read}}</ref> medical marijuana advocacy,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=~~CNBC~~ \|date=2018 \|title= \|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/22/wells-fargo-closes-bank-account-of-candidate-who-supports-marijuana.html}}</ref> and other incidents. Companies like PayPal have a long history of censorship; although, when major payment processors such as Visa and Mastercard censor individuals or business entities, they effectively ban those people from engaging in payment transactions at all. This is due to their dominant position in global finance with no widely-adopted alternative.		'''Financial censorship''' is the practice of major [[payment processors]] refusing to process transactions for individuals or entities that do not align with their values. Although some banks and processors must comply with the law by avoiding known criminal activity, some institutions take a heavy-handed approach in this regard, leading to the censorship of legal adult content,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Reitman \|first=Rainey \|date=2012-02-29 \|title=Legal Censorship: PayPal Makes a Habit of Deciding What Users Can Read \|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250829181309/https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read \|archive-date=2025-08-29 \|access-date=2025-08-29 \|website=Electronic Frontier Foundation}}</ref> medical marijuana advocacy,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Flitter \|first=Emily \|date=2018-08-22 \|title=Wells Fargo closes bank account of candidate who supports marijuana \|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/22/wells-fargo-closes-bank-account-of-candidate-who-supports-marijuana.html \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250829181619/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/22/wells-fargo-closes-bank-account-of-candidate-who-supports-marijuana.html \|archive-date=2025-08-29 \|access-date=2025-08-29 \|website=CNBC}}</ref> and other incidents. Companies like PayPal have a long history of censorship; although, when major payment processors such as Visa and Mastercard censor individuals or business entities, they effectively ban those people from engaging in payment transactions at all. This is due to their dominant position in global finance with no widely-adopted alternative.

	== Why it is a problem ==		==Why it is a problem==

	* Example Text		*Example Text
	* Example Text		*Example Text

	==Notable incidents==		==Notable incidents==
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	"Visa and MasterCard stopped processing donations for WikiLeaks in December 2010 after the United States criticized the organization's release of thousands of sensitive U.S. diplomatic cables from its embassies all over the world."		"Visa and MasterCard stopped processing donations for WikiLeaks in December 2010 after the United States criticized the organization's release of thousands of sensitive U.S. diplomatic cables from its embassies all over the world."

	From Visa, Mastercard, Bank of America, PayPal, and Western Union.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=~~Reuters~~ \|first= \|date=2011 \|title=WikiLeaks says "blockade" threatens its existence \|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-wikileaks-idUSTRE79N46K20111024/}}</ref>		From Visa, Mastercard, Bank of America, PayPal, and Western Union.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Holden \|first=Michael \|date=2011-10-24 \|title=WikiLeaks says "blockade" threatens its existence \|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-wikileaks-idUSTRE79N46K20111024/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250829181835/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-wikileaks-idUSTRE79N46K20111024/ \|archive-date=2025-08-29 \|access-date=2025-08-29 \|website=Reuters}}</ref>

	==See also==		==See also==

Beanie Bo: removed paypal section since its beyond the scope of this article; added why it is a problem section to be filled out later

2025-08-26T16:58:12Z

removed paypal section since its beyond the scope of this article; added why it is a problem section to be filled out later

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:58, 26 August 2025
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	'''Financial censorship''' is the practice of major [[payment processors]] refusing to process transactions for individuals or entities that do not align with their values. Although some banks and processors must comply with the law by avoiding known criminal activity, some institutions take a heavy-handed approach in this regard, leading to the censorship of legal adult content,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=EFF \|title=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read \|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read}}</ref> medical marijuana advocacy,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=CNBC \|date=2018 \|title= \|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/22/wells-fargo-closes-bank-account-of-candidate-who-supports-marijuana.html}}</ref> and other incidents. Companies like PayPal have a long history of censorship; although, when major payment processors such as Visa and Mastercard censor individuals or business entities, they effectively ban those people from engaging in payment transactions at all. This is due to their dominant position in global finance with no widely-adopted alternative.		'''Financial censorship''' is the practice of major [[payment processors]] refusing to process transactions for individuals or entities that do not align with their values. Although some banks and processors must comply with the law by avoiding known criminal activity, some institutions take a heavy-handed approach in this regard, leading to the censorship of legal adult content,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=EFF \|title=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read \|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read}}</ref> medical marijuana advocacy,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=CNBC \|date=2018 \|title= \|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/22/wells-fargo-closes-bank-account-of-candidate-who-supports-marijuana.html}}</ref> and other incidents. Companies like PayPal have a long history of censorship; although, when major payment processors such as Visa and Mastercard censor individuals or business entities, they effectively ban those people from engaging in payment transactions at all. This is due to their dominant position in global finance with no widely-adopted alternative.

			== Why it is a problem ==

			* Example Text
			* Example Text

	==Notable incidents==		==Notable incidents==
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	From Visa, Mastercard, Bank of America, PayPal, and Western Union.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Reuters \|first= \|date=2011 \|title=WikiLeaks says "blockade" threatens its existence \|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-wikileaks-idUSTRE79N46K20111024/}}</ref>		From Visa, Mastercard, Bank of America, PayPal, and Western Union.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Reuters \|first= \|date=2011 \|title=WikiLeaks says "blockade" threatens its existence \|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-wikileaks-idUSTRE79N46K20111024/}}</ref>

	~~==PayPal==~~
	~~''Main article:'' [[PayPal]]~~

	~~===COVID misinformation, 2022===~~
	~~In 2022, PayPal enacted a policy to target misinformation during the COVID pandemic by charging a $2,500 fine to individuals.~~

	"The new policy, which said customers could have to pay damages of $2,500 for each violation, was supposed to go into effect on Nov. 3, the reports said."<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Reuters \|date=2022 \|title=PayPal says policy to fine customers for 'misinformation' was an 'error' \|url=https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/paypal-says-it-never-intended-fine-users-misinformation-bloomberg-news-2022-10-10/}}</ref>

	==See also==		==See also==

Beanie Bo: expanded intro to detail the scope of this particular article (Visa and MC monopoly rather than general censorship); removed smaller incidents and left them as citations

2025-08-26T16:54:18Z

expanded intro to detail the scope of this particular article (Visa and MC monopoly rather than general censorship); removed smaller incidents and left them as citations

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:54, 26 August 2025
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	{{Stub}}		{{Stub}}

	'''Financial censorship''' is the practice of major [[payment processors]] refusing to process transactions for entities that do not align with their values. ~~Since these~~ payment processors ~~hold a~~ dominant position in global finance with no widely-adopted alternative~~, this practice results in a strong chilling effect by making independent free expression that runs afoul of their policies financially unsustainable~~.		'''Financial censorship''' is the practice of major [[payment processors]] refusing to process transactions for individuals or entities that do not align with their values. Although some banks and processors must comply with the law by avoiding known criminal activity, some institutions take a heavy-handed approach in this regard, leading to the censorship of legal adult content,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=EFF \|title=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read \|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read}}</ref> medical marijuana advocacy,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=CNBC \|date=2018 \|title= \|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/22/wells-fargo-closes-bank-account-of-candidate-who-supports-marijuana.html}}</ref> and other incidents. Companies like PayPal have a long history of censorship; although, when major payment processors such as Visa and Mastercard censor individuals or business entities, they effectively ban those people from engaging in payment transactions at all. This is due to their dominant position in global finance with no widely-adopted alternative.

	==Notable incidents==		==Notable incidents==
Line 11:		Line 11:
	===Itch.io===		===Itch.io===
	In July 2025, [[Itch.io]], a platform for many indie games, delisted "all adult {{Wplink\|Not safe for work\|NSFW}} content" from their storefront. Later that month, they restored all NSFW games, as long as they're free. Currently, they are in negotiations with payment processors to start restoring some paid titles, but they have acknowledged that this will see some titles permanently removed from the platform.		In July 2025, [[Itch.io]], a platform for many indie games, delisted "all adult {{Wplink\|Not safe for work\|NSFW}} content" from their storefront. Later that month, they restored all NSFW games, as long as they're free. Currently, they are in negotiations with payment processors to start restoring some paid titles, but they have acknowledged that this will see some titles permanently removed from the platform.

	~~===Stripe, 2012===~~
	Stripe pre-emptively censored LGBTQ erotic fiction on Nifty Archive in fear of breaking user agreements with Visa and Mastercard. Some time later, they rescinded.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=EFF \|title=Payment Provider Stripe Upholds Free Speech, Reactivates Nifty Archives \|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/11/payment-provider-stripe-upholds-free-speech-reactivates-nifty-archives}}</ref>

	===Wikileaks, 2011===		===Wikileaks, 2011===
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	From Visa, Mastercard, Bank of America, PayPal, and Western Union.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Reuters \|first= \|date=2011 \|title=WikiLeaks says "blockade" threatens its existence \|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-wikileaks-idUSTRE79N46K20111024/}}</ref>		From Visa, Mastercard, Bank of America, PayPal, and Western Union.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Reuters \|first= \|date=2011 \|title=WikiLeaks says "blockade" threatens its existence \|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-wikileaks-idUSTRE79N46K20111024/}}</ref>

	~~===Dem. candidate Nikki Fried, 2018===~~
	Wells Fargo closed the account of Nikki Fried, a Florida candidate, due to her advocacy of medical marijuana, which is legal in the state of Florida.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=CNBC \|date=2018 \|title= \|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/22/wells-fargo-closes-bank-account-of-candidate-who-supports-marijuana.html}}</ref>

	==PayPal==		==PayPal==
	''Main article:'' [[PayPal]]		''Main article:'' [[PayPal]]

	~~PayPal has an extensive history with censoring content from individuals and organizations alike, including (but certainly not limited to):~~

	===COVID misinformation, 2022===		===COVID misinformation, 2022===
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	"The new policy, which said customers could have to pay damages of $2,500 for each violation, was supposed to go into effect on Nov. 3, the reports said."<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Reuters \|date=2022 \|title=PayPal says policy to fine customers for 'misinformation' was an 'error' \|url=https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/paypal-says-it-never-intended-fine-users-misinformation-bloomberg-news-2022-10-10/}}</ref>		"The new policy, which said customers could have to pay damages of $2,500 for each violation, was supposed to go into effect on Nov. 3, the reports said."<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Reuters \|date=2022 \|title=PayPal says policy to fine customers for 'misinformation' was an 'error' \|url=https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/paypal-says-it-never-intended-fine-users-misinformation-bloomberg-news-2022-10-10/}}</ref>

	~~===Smashwords, 2012===~~
	The indie ebook publisher, Smashwords, was censored by PayPal for publishing explicit content.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=EFF \|title=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read \|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read}}</ref>

	==See also==		==See also==

Keith: a word

2025-08-26T16:16:32Z

a word

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:16, 26 August 2025
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	==PayPal==		==PayPal==
	''Main ~~Wiki~~:'' [[PayPal]]		''Main article:'' [[PayPal]]

	PayPal has an extensive history with censoring content from individuals and organizations alike, including (but certainly not limited to):		PayPal has an extensive history with censoring content from individuals and organizations alike, including (but certainly not limited to):

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:35, 12 October 2025
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	*This could allow payment processors to censor media they do not like, by refusing to process payments for that specific type of media.		*This could allow payment processors to censor media they do not like, by refusing to process payments for that specific type of media.
	*Very anti-consumer, not allowing you to purchase the legal media that you want.		*Very anti-consumer, not allowing you to purchase the legal media that you want.

	==Notable incidents==		==Notable incidents==
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	''Main article:'' [[Valve allows ISPs and payment processors to censor content on Steam\|Valve allows financial censorship of Steam games]]		''Main article:'' [[Valve allows ISPs and payment processors to censor content on Steam\|Valve allows financial censorship of Steam games]]

	In July 2025, [[Steam]], an online platform and digital marketplace for video games and related computer software and assets, added a new rule to their [https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/gettingstarted/onboarding#5 publishing guidelines] against "in particular, certain kinds of adult only content", and proceeded to withdraw hundreds of titles from sale on the platform.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Koselke \|first=Anna \|date=2025-07-18 \|title=Valve confirms pressure from banks and card companies is to blame for the storefront axing adult Steam games: "Loss of payment methods would prevent customers from being able to purchase other titles" \|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250726022008/https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ \|archive-date=26 Jul 2025 \|access-date=15 Aug 2025 \|work=GamesRadar+ \|quote=Judging by the information available on SteamDB, over 100 games have been marked as "retired" from Valve's storefront in just two days – many of which are titles with adult-only content.}}</ref> This was due to a demand from payment processors [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Inc. '''Visa Inc.'''] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastercard '''Mastercard'''] after multiple complaints from a group called [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_Shout '''Collective Shout'''] <ref name = "Visa-Mastercard-Censorship">{{Cite news \| last=Hansford \| first=Amelia \| title=Why are Visa and Mastercard banning ‘adult’ purchases? Here’s everything you need to know \| url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/08/04/visa-mastercard-adult-purchases/ \| website=ThePinkNews \| date=2025-08-04 \| access-date=2025-09-02 \| url-status=live \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250814182300/https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/08/04/visa-mastercard-adult-purchases/ \| archive-date=2025-08-14}}</ref>		In July 2025, [[Steam]], an online platform and digital marketplace for video games and related computer software and assets, added a new rule to their [https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/gettingstarted/onboarding#5 publishing guidelines] against "in particular, certain kinds of adult only content", and proceeded to withdraw hundreds of titles from sale on the platform.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Koselke \|first=Anna \|date=2025-07-18 \|title=Valve confirms pressure from banks and card companies is to blame for the storefront axing adult Steam games: "Loss of payment methods would prevent customers from being able to purchase other titles" \|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250726022008/https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ \|archive-date=26 Jul 2025 \|access-date=15 Aug 2025 \|work=GamesRadar+ \|quote=Judging by the information available on SteamDB, over 100 games have been marked as "retired" from Valve's storefront in just two days – many of which are titles with adult-only content.}}</ref> This was due to a demand from payment processors [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Inc. '''Visa Inc.'''] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastercard '''Mastercard'''] after multiple complaints from a group called [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_Shout '''Collective Shout'''] <ref name="Visa-Mastercard-Censorship">{{Cite news \| last=Hansford \| first=Amelia \| title=Why are Visa and Mastercard banning ‘adult’ purchases? Here’s everything you need to know \| url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/08/04/visa-mastercard-adult-purchases/ \| website=ThePinkNews \| date=2025-08-04 \| access-date=2025-09-02 \| url-status=live \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250814182300/https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/08/04/visa-mastercard-adult-purchases/ \| archive-date=2025-08-14}}</ref>

	===Itch.io===		===Itch.io===
	In July 2025, [[Itch.io]], a platform for many indie games, delisted "all adult {{Wplink\|Not safe for work\|NSFW}} content" from their storefront. Later that month, they restored all NSFW games, as long as they're free. Currently, they are in negotiations with payment processors to start restoring some paid titles, but they have acknowledged that this will see some titles permanently removed from the platform. <ref name = "Visa-Mastercard-Censorship" />		In July 2025, [[Itch.io]], a platform for many indie games, delisted "all adult {{Wplink\|Not safe for work\|NSFW}} content" from their storefront. Later that month, they restored all NSFW games, as long as they're free. Currently, they are in negotiations with payment processors to start restoring some paid titles, but they have acknowledged that this will see some titles permanently removed from the platform. <ref name="Visa-Mastercard-Censorship" />

	===Wikileaks, 2011===		===Wikileaks, 2011===
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	*https://www.change.org/p/stop-payment-processors-from-dictating-legal-purchases		*https://www.change.org/p/stop-payment-processors-from-dictating-legal-purchases
	*https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/987/text		*https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/987/text

			== Further reading ==

			* [[Value based pricing]]

	==References==		==References==
	<references />		<references />
	[[Category:Common terms]]		[[Category:Common terms]]