Financial censorship: Difference between revisions
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'''Financial censorship''' is the practice of major [[payment processors]] | '''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. | ||
== | ==Notable incidents== | ||
{{Incomplete section}} | {{Incomplete section}} | ||
===Steam=== | ===Steam=== | ||
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=2025 | 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> | ||
=== Itch.io === | ===Itch.io=== | ||
In July 2025, Itch.io, a platform for many indie games, delisted "all adult 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=== | |||
Famous whistleblower Julian Assange was censored in what he called a "financial blockade." | |||
"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> | |||
=== 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]] has an extensive history with censoring content from individuals and organizations alike, including (but certainly not limited to): | |||
===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> | |||
===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== | ||
[[Collective Shout]] | |||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
Latest revision as of 04:00, 26 August 2025
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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.
Notable incidents[edit | edit source]
This section is incomplete. This notice can be deleted once all the placeholder text has been replaced.
Steam[edit | edit source]
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 publishing guidelines against "in particular, certain kinds of adult only content", and proceeded to withdraw hundreds of titles from sale on the platform.[1]
Itch.io[edit | edit source]
In July 2025, Itch.io, a platform for many indie games, delisted "all adult 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[edit | edit source]
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.[2]
Wikileaks, 2011[edit | edit source]
Famous whistleblower Julian Assange was censored in what he called a "financial blockade."
"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.[3]
Dem. candidate Nikki Fried, 2018[edit | edit source]
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.[4]
PayPal[edit | edit source]
PayPal has an extensive history with censoring content from individuals and organizations alike, including (but certainly not limited to):
COVID misinformation, 2022[edit | edit source]
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."[5]
Smashwords, 2012[edit | edit source]
The indie ebook publisher, Smashwords, was censored by PayPal for publishing explicit content.[6]
See also[edit | edit source]
External links[edit | edit source]
- https://www.eff.org/issues/financial-censorship
- https://www.change.org/p/stop-payment-processors-from-dictating-legal-purchases
- https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/987/text
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Koselke, Anna (2025-07-18). "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"". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 26 Jul 2025. Retrieved 15 Aug 2025.
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.
- ↑ EFF. "Payment Provider Stripe Upholds Free Speech, Reactivates Nifty Archives".
- ↑ Reuters (2011). "WikiLeaks says "blockade" threatens its existence".
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ↑ CNBC (2018). https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/22/wells-fargo-closes-bank-account-of-candidate-who-supports-marijuana.html.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ Reuters (2022). "PayPal says policy to fine customers for 'misinformation' was an 'error'".
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ↑ EFF. "https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read".
{{cite web}}: External link in|title=