“However, we also take into account the rights of free speech and freedom of religion. Balancing these conflicting rights is often difficult, and so we assess possible infringements objectively against our Acceptable Use Policy.
“While we can’t comment on any specific accounts because of customer confidentiality, we regularly review organisations and websites that use our service, and stop working with those that break our Acceptable Use Policy. We also enable people to report suspected breaches of this policy on our website.”
– A PayPal spokesperson responding to a 25,000+ signature petition asking the online payment service to stop serving international hate groups. Their terms of service state that groups “may not use the PayPal service for activities that… promote hate, violence, racial intolerance.” In the past, PayPal has revoked the accounts of the Ku Klux Klan despite their freedom of religion and Wikileaks despite their freedom of speech.
the crustybastard
Inciting hatred, violence and intolerance against a group of people is alway wrong.
Except when religious people do it.
Then it’s a “right.”
Except other people have no “right” to incite hatred, violence and intolerance of religious people.
Because religious people have special laws that protect them.
When other people want those same protections against religious people’s hatred, violence and intolerance, religious people are outraged.
Because those other people want “special rights.”
Which is unfair.
Because how could anyone need a special right to hate religious people?
Who are only trying to do the Lord’s work.
It’s religious persecution!
Robert in NYC
Freedom to hate under the guise of freedom of religion is wiggle room to get them off the hook. You can fight back by not using PayPal’s service. In most instances, you can opt to pay directly with your credit card or in some cases, call the vendor to avoid giving PayPal a commission to support hate groups. Don’t feed them, starve them. I never use them personally.
Robert in NYC
Religious extremists always play the victim card when the going gets tough.
sideliner
“While we can’t comment on any specific accounts because of customer confidentiality, we regularly review organisations and websites that use our service, and stop working with those that break our Acceptable Use Policy. We also enable people to report suspected breaches of this policy on our website.”
Dear PayPal:
While I can’t understand how you expect your response to be viewed as anything but hypocrisy, I regularly review businesses and websites that ask for my business, and I stop doing business with those that are too ignorant to understand that hate speech isn’t justified. I also call bullshit on your policy-breach reporting feature.
Best of luck finding a new demographic.
vaan_lohengrin
who cares. they are doing as much as anyone can be asked to.
not gonna stop me from buying stuff with them
mark
Ebay/Paypal also owns a large chunk of Craigslist now. Craigslist allows job listings that ask for “straight” men, specify “young” people only for no legitimate reason, and is full of phony “internships” that don’t pay anything at all and want you to make coffee, run errands, type 80wpm. They don’t even require that you get college credit which is illegal. I flag them every time and they stay up. I have notified Craigslist and they said nothing about changing policy. At least sweat shops in China pay you something and don’t require you have a car and use thousands of dollars of your own equipment to do their work. CA Attorney General, Kamala Harris, why are you allowing this to happen?
MattGMD
When was PayPal appointed to monitor the moral and religious status of anyone?!