PayPal may have publicly claimed that their threat to fine users $2,500 for spreading so-called “misinformation,” was just an innocent mistake, but it turns out the company is still planning on handing out the fines just with slightly different reasoning.
The financial services company is still reserving the right to fine users the $2,500 for other alleged transgressions.
Its current “Acceptable Use Policy,” which has been in place for a year states that “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).”
According to PayPal’s own list of “prohibited activities” transactions which they deem to be related to “intolerance that is discriminatory; the promotion of hate,” and “items that are considered obscene” could all trigger the hefty fine.
These terms are extremely broad and determined solely by PayPal, suggesting they could make the case to fine anyone who uses the platform that they simply don’t agree with.
The company’s “User Agreement” also states that PayPal will fine users simply if it “believes” they’ve engaged in a prohibited activity.
“If we believe that you’ve engaged in any of these activities, we may take a number of actions to protect PayPal, its customers and others at any time in our sole discretion,” the agreement states.
In recent years companies have adopted terms like these to push censorship and limit free speech, especially the speech and opinions of conservatives and Trump supporters. The company has already engaged in the deletion of users accounts if it deems them to be in “violation” of their policy, which could be something as little as sharing an opinion that runs counter to theirs.
After the initial news broke that the company was planning to fine users for promoting “misinformation,” the backlash forced the company to walk back the claim but these agreements prove they’ve already been set up to do this for quite some time and despite what their public relations team might claim, these fines may very well start to hit users.
The company’s stock price plummeted after the news, with users cancelling their accounts in waves.
PayPal has gotten so desperate, in fact that they are attempting to bribe users with $15 to prevent them from closing their accounts.
When users attempt to delete their account, an automated message is now generated which reads “If the reason behind closing your account is the recent notice regarding the policy … Allow me to sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and since we value you as a PayPal member, I would like to give you a one time courtesy of $15 worth of PayPal voucher because we want to keep you…”
The move, however, has also backfired for the payment platform as users pointed out that a measly $15 is nothing compared to the $2500 fines they are threatening.
well the best thing to do is get rid of paypal for good
Agreed
They been holding my money for two years .they will not say way will not let me talk to anyone in control .did send email just holding it.even said I mite not get it back. Hope they go broke.
Deleted my paypal account yesterday
So glad I’ve NEVER had a paypal account and NEVER will!!
Does this include the activities of perverts, like buying sex toys and alike????????
I got rid of them, and Netflix is next on my axe list!
A bunch of Communist socialistic Demo-Rats who LOVE China. They are NAZI WOKE elitist scum bags. Now paycum just try to fine me and I’ll sue your sorry ass.
I heard that PayPal’s CEO and board of directors has dirt on the Clintons and plans to prosecute them.
Well that would be an improvement. Nothing is too “good” for the Clintons, although if Hilary runs for president in 2024, no matter who the opponent is, she’ll go down in flames.
I don’t know where a PayPal member would make a comment that PayPal might take issue with. I don’t know of any public forum offered by PayPal. Are they suspected of monitoring public forums? How would they know if that person was the same as someone who deals through PayPal? I can see where PayPal could open themselves to lawsuits if they started confiscating people’s money at will.
I’ll stick with them. I’ve been almost cheated by grifters, and they cleaned that all up. I do get phony emails all the time from idiots saying they’re from PayPal, who obviously are not. It keeps on happening, often from the same email address. The crooks even steal the PayPal logo. You’d think when I report it to PayPal, that they would really track the idiots down. They thank me for the report, but it keeps on happening.
I finally found the PayPal Community. I have a question in for PayPal about their disclaimer at logon (in red) that the reports of their fining members is based on a mistake. The only place I think they could find a PayPal member saying something they don’t like would be in the PayPal Community. My only financial connection to PayPal and my bank would mean that if they DID take my money (they have to access my bank when I use them for a purchase, I don’t have money deposited with them) for such an “infraction”, Wells Fargo would be on them in a second.
I’ve heard back from PayPal, and they assure me that any statement about fining members was made by mistake. I told them that if any fining was made, it would have to be through my bank, as I don’t have a balance with PayPal. Every time I pay for something through PayPal, they have to go to my bank account. My bank would stop anything of that nature quickly.
As far as putting an end to this, I told them they need to go on Fox News, and put it to rest.
so whats the alternative,
So what’s new here? If Elon Musk did it to Nicholas Assange confiscating the supporting money received through fundraising.