[highlight=yellow]Buried deep inside PayPal's new terms of service - $2500 fine for free speech[/highlight]
I can't claim credit for this. I check in on a blog called KNUCKLEDRAGGIN MY LIFE AWAY, which is a male chauvinist crude humor site, full of toxic masculinity and even thinly veiled racism. But I muddle through it for the gems it still produces.
Anyway, the author of the blog announced he was no longer accepting payments from PayPal and was closing out his account. I still have a PayPal account, but maybe use it once a year or so and have gotten away from it because of their anti-rights stances and policies. So I figured the blogger's reason was something similar, but when I read what he posted, I was shocked,...and that takes a lot to do to me these days.
Let me just post from his blog directly so you understand what's happening;.....
PLEASE READ THIS: I am no longer accepting Paypal
I am attempting to close my paypal account. I have cancelled all recurring payments from those that have set those up and removed the paypal button from my site.
Why, you ask? Check this out:
Last updated on November 3, 2022. You are independently responsible for complying with all applicable laws in all of your actions related to your use of PayPal's services, regardless of the purpose of the use. In addition, you must adhere to the terms of this Acceptable Use Policy. Violation of this Acceptable Use Policy constitutes a violation of the PayPal User Agreement and may subject you to damages, including liquidated damages of $2,500.00 U.S. dollars per violation, which may be debited directly from your PayPal account(s) as outlined in the User Agreement (see “Restricted Activities and Holds” section of the PayPal User Agreement)
5. involve the sending, posting, or publication of any messages, content, or materials that, in PayPal’s sole discretion, (a) are harmful, obscene, harassing, or objectionable, (b) depict or appear to depict nudity, sexual or other intimate activities, (c) depict or promote illegal drug use, (d) depict or promote violence, criminal activity, cruelty, or self-harm (e) depict, promote, or incite hatred or discrimination of protected groups or of individuals or groups based on protected characteristics (e.g. race, religion, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, etc.) (f) present a risk to user safety or wellbeing, (g) are fraudulent, promote misinformation, or are unlawful, (h) infringe the privacy, intellectual property rights, or other proprietary rights of any party, or (i) are otherwise unfit for publication.
That's right, Paypal is saying they can fine me $2500 PER INSTANCE for posting what they consider to be hate speech or misinformation on a platform they have nothing to do with.
Talk shit about the government? 2500 bucks.
Talk shit about tranny groomers? 2500 bucks.
Talk shit about LGBTWhatever? 2500 bucks.
Talk shit about gun grabbers? 2500 bucks.
Talk shit about Ukraine or whoever their pet is? 2500 bucks.
f*** that.
I have been on the phone off and on all morning trying to shut my account down completely with no success. A little while ago I got a message from them saying that my account must remain inactive for SIX MONTHS before they'll close it.
I've done what I could. I've cancelled all recurring payments, pulled all funds from my account, removed my linked bank, removed the paypal button from the sidebar of this blog, all that good shit.
Again, please do NOT send me anything through paypal.
Thank you and thanks to WiscoDave who sent me the information about the Terms and Agreements.
