Addendum. It strikes me that PayPal might be vulnerable to a libel action from the Free Speech Union. After all, PayPal's actions are justified, they say, by FSU's breach of their Acceptable Use Policy, which ban those "that promote hate, violence or racial intolerance." By its action, PayPal is publicly accusing FSU of that. That looks to me like libel: FSU should sue, and invite them to prove it in a British court. Any lawyers out there willing to take the case?
Another addendum. It turns out that the tyrant had planned to fine its customers US$2,500 in the US for being involved in 'misinformation' - their definition, obviously. After further inevitable outcry, this published policy has now been withdrawn and said to have been published 'in error'.
Which sounds suspiciously like spreading misinformation to me.
But it is further striking evidence of why everyone should be avoiding like the plagues this tyranny that would so dearly love to be unfettered.
I think you have missed one other, more important, reason for concern. The PayPal-FSU story shows, again, that a collection of US corporations, from Visa/MasterCard, through PayPal and Patreon, to YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, have enormous control over our political discourse, and thus technology. Given those companies often seem in thrall to an extremist ideology, and that even if they were not, could be leaned on by the United States government, they present a clear and present danger to our democracy and even sovereignty.
Addendum. It strikes me that PayPal might be vulnerable to a libel action from the Free Speech Union. After all, PayPal's actions are justified, they say, by FSU's breach of their Acceptable Use Policy, which ban those "that promote hate, violence or racial intolerance." By its action, PayPal is publicly accusing FSU of that. That looks to me like libel: FSU should sue, and invite them to prove it in a British court. Any lawyers out there willing to take the case?
Another addendum. It turns out that the tyrant had planned to fine its customers US$2,500 in the US for being involved in 'misinformation' - their definition, obviously. After further inevitable outcry, this published policy has now been withdrawn and said to have been published 'in error'.
Which sounds suspiciously like spreading misinformation to me.
But it is further striking evidence of why everyone should be avoiding like the plagues this tyranny that would so dearly love to be unfettered.
I think you have missed one other, more important, reason for concern. The PayPal-FSU story shows, again, that a collection of US corporations, from Visa/MasterCard, through PayPal and Patreon, to YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, have enormous control over our political discourse, and thus technology. Given those companies often seem in thrall to an extremist ideology, and that even if they were not, could be leaned on by the United States government, they present a clear and present danger to our democracy and even sovereignty.