Is PayPal joining Google and Twitter in the Censorship War?
Is this still the case?
I just got off the phone with Paypal’s resolution centre. It was an… odd call to say the least.
Last month they took issue the moneys I’d received from FundAnything.com over a year ago. For those of you who don’t recall, this was part of the nonsense of that Sarkeesian film; the FundAnything page no longer exists, and everyone who requested a refund received one. It’s an issue long dead and buried, and yet at the end of August PayPal started demanding more information.
Today I completed my third phone call with them. The girl I spoke to refused to explain why specifically they were limiting my account, nor would she explain what sort of malfeasance they suspected I was getting up to (she essentially said “We don’t think you’re up to anything, we just want to know what you’re up to,”), and she told me that I wasn’t allowed to speak to the department who was creating these troubles, but that she would forward my message to them. She also brought up some birthday money a friend of mine sent me through the donation button here on the site (thanks, brother, things are a bit tight and you’re a life saver), and informed me that friends aren’t allowed to donate money through a credit card; they have to register with PayPal and then send the money through that interface.
She further informed me that it was okay if – for instance – somebody really like my novel, and decided to send me some bonus money as a donation after having purchased it properly through Amazon… but NOT if I’d sat down and had two or more beers with them, because then they would be considered one of my friends according to PayPal policy.
Confused yet? Here are the rules as best as I can understand them:
- We’re not going to tell you what our rules are, because then you would know how to skirt them,
- Friends and family members can’t send donations, but they can register a PayPal account to send you money through there,
- A friend is anybody you’ve had two or more beers with,
- Donations from strangers are acceptable, so long as they’re driven by warm fuzzies in the heart and nothing else,
- Paypal will limit your account if you can’t explain why people are donating to you, and they consider sites like FundAnything, GoFundMe, and Patreon to be suspicious, even though consumer protection is built in to those business models,
- And finally, the girl confirmed that their investigation team is partially inspired by Star Trek’s Section 31, but she denied that she’d occasionally wake up to one of them sitting on her dresser in the middle of the night, with a mysterious itinerary for her to follow the next day.
Just to put this into context – Captain Disillusion just uploaded a video about how the people behind Cicret have collected half a million dollars directly through PayPal, because they didn’t like the accountability that KickStarter demanded. They’re investigating little ‘ole me over paltry sums from a year ago, while doing nothing about a tech company that’s promising the impossible.¹
The girl claimed that their investigations aren’t motivated by the same sort of political bias that Google, Facebook, and Twitter are exhibiting, but she also couldn’t explain what would motivate them; that part’s a trade secret, apparently. Matt Forney suspects – and I agree – that this might be the first step in kicking me off of their platform. The fact that all of these companies are resorting to such tactics is good news for our side; it means they’re running scared, and it means that they they consider me dangerous. There’s nothing that makes me happier than being hated by the unrighteous.
Only time will tell what PayPal’s actually up to.
Honestly I’m not too worried about it; unlike some people I could mention, I have avenues available to me outside of YouTube benjamins and the public dole, and by this time next year I hope to be a contributor to the various Alt Right voices whom I enjoy (assuming that they’re still able to receive PayPal, of course; I still haven’t figured out how to BitCoin). Things are still tight just now, but I’m not planning a trip to the food bank any time soon.
In the meantime, however, I will do what I can to remain in full compliance with PayPal’s rules (whatever they might be). So, with that in mind – if you have some money burning a hole in your pocket, and you’re already supporting my Patreon, then you can get rid of of those pesky shekels, goy, by expressing your love for the dankest meme ever made.
I am, of course, talking about Space Dog:
10/10: Anybody who says 3.8 is just jealous.
Of course, you are more than free to include your questions, prayer requests, or ideas for videos when you donate for the wonder that is space dog – I can hardly stop you from doing that, now can I? – but just remember that Space Dog is its own reward. I’ll be altering the appropriate pages shortly.
Thanks for all of your support folks, even if it’s simply the gift of your time in reading my articles. Watch your six – and remember the 7 Bs:
Beans, Batteries, Bullets, Bandaids, Bullion, Booze, and Bad Guys.
ͼ-Ѻ-ͽ
1. Probably impossible; I don’t’ know how lazers or magnets work.
Here’s the difference you’re missing. Twitter and Google “only” have your details to be accountable for. PayPal is handling your money. It’s a financial institution and is regulated as such, meaning it has to comply with certain laws. There are circumstances where releasing information to non-authorised parties can be a crime. So, although it’s been very annoying for you this time, think these same policies and secrecy may protect you one day when you’re the victim of fraud or identity theft.
Does your bank regularly ask you what you’re doing with your money, and then refuse to tell you what the standards are?
Great insights here! I always thought Paypal’s policies were arbitrary. Certainly they don’t make much sense to me. Some transactions go through immediately, others take days. When I called them to clarify what the actual rules are, they were never able to give me a straight answer. So maybe they keep it nebulous on purpose, so they can strike against people when they see fit.
PayPal all over legal theft to nosey and punish you for not doin what they tell you. Its staggering that people still think this company is legitimate and can be trusted.
We all know that’s the way system protect itself. we are subject to certain risks
And there’s a message for all those libertarians who are so concerned that the evil government will crimp their liberties. Governemnts can be voted out. Governments at least reply to FOI requests and can be taken to court. Priivate companies? Not so much.
Government is inevitable. Someone – someone – will wind up doing the jobs that governments do. If you drown your democratically elected body in a bathtub, then that power will wind up in the hands of a small number of very wealthy people who answer to no-one. It’s not something that will happen: it *is* happening.