Financial censorship: Difference between revisions

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===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 Some time later, they rescinded.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 ===

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>

== 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==

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 ===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.<!-- TODO: add more examples -->
+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>
+== 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==