Paypal cancels Free Speech Union
Democracy? What democracy?
By Jasmine Birtles
ANOTHER financial institution has shown its disdain for democracy and free speech by cancelling an organisation that holds views it does not like.
The payment processing company Paypal has ‘cancelled’ The Free Speech Union , a group set up by journalist Toby Young to uphold and promote the values of free speech, free thought and open discussion. It has also refused to process payments for Young’s website, The Daily Sceptic – and even his own personal account.
Young has tried in vain to find out from Paypal why his organisations have been cancelled and how to get them reinstated. All he is told is that they have violated Paypal’s ‘Acceptable Use Policy’ although they refuse to tell him in what way.
“I contacted a customer service agent to find out how, exactly, all three accounts have violated PayPal’s Acceptable Use Policy, but he could throw no light on the matter,” Young says in his email to members.
“I then submitted an appeal about the decisions to close the accounts, asking again how I’d violated the Policy, and they have not been successful. PayPal has still refused to say how the Free Speech Union violated its Policy.
“I can only assume the reason for the closure of the accounts is because PayPal disapproves of my efforts to uphold the right to free speech. We already know PayPal doesn’t set any store by free speech because it has closed the accounts of a number of websites and individuals who challenge the prevailing orthodoxy, whether it’s the wisdom of the vaccine mandates, the trans rights agenda or the claim that we’re in the midst of a ‘climate emergency’.”
This is not the first time that Paypal has cancelled individuals and organisations that spoke their minds whether about climate change, trans rights or other important social issues.
They are by no means the only financial organisation to do so either. As we itemise in this article at my website Money Magpie – Will your bank cancel you – Santander, HSBC, Wise and more have cancelled people whose views they do not like (mostly right of centre or Christian) and this seems to be just the start.
High time for a new set of financial institutions that support freedom and democracy, don’t you think?
Never liked Paypal from inception, partly because of nefarious early dealings but mainly because it held onto your cash longer than necessary. And their exchange rates are dire. Stick to the credit card.
UK Medical Freedom Alliance were similarly demonetised at the beginning of September along with my personal and unconnected PayPal account (I am the Executive Director). This is a deliberate, targeted and serious attack, by a non-UK corporation, on free speech and lawful campaigning in the UK.