PayPal Vows to Release WikiLeaks Funds, Account to Remain Blocked
Bertrand Vasquez | Dec 08, 2010 | Comments 6
San Jose, California-based PayPal Inc. has provided more information on the statement made this morning by PayPal Vice President of Platform Osama Bedier at Le Web 2010 conference in Paris, France. The company indicates that is decision to block the WikiLeaks account was ultimately theirs based on their Acceptable Use Policy. PayPal indicates that the WikiLeaks account has been suspended and restored twice in 2008 and 2009.
PayPal also explains on the PayPal Blog that although the account will remain suspended for the time being, it has decided to release all of the remaining funds in the account.
The move comes just moments after a series of DDoS [distributed denial of service] attacks by the Anonymous Group have already taken down various websites as part of its Operation: Payback, which aims to punish companies such as Amazon, MasterCard, PostFinance, and Visa — all of which have restricted controversial non-profit organization WikiLeaks from utilizing their services.
PayPal goes on to indicate that neither the “political, legal and free speech debates surrounding WikiLeaks’ activities” contributed to its decision to suspend the WikiLeaks account, which is a big contradiction to what the company explains at the beginning of its post.
Obviously the political and legal factors did contribute to the decision to block WikiLeaks. First, the company acted after the U.S. Department of State sent a letter to WikiLeaks — not PayPal — on November 27, informing the organization that its actions were illegal. This brings me to the second point, which is the legal factor. WikiLeaks is accused of breaking the law, but then again no specific law is cited by those who state that the organization is unlawful.
Filed Under: World
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THANK YOU for stating what is becoming more and more obvious: "WikiLeaks is accused of breaking the law, but then again no specific law is cited by those who state that the organization is unlawful."
Initially releasing those materials may have been a violation of US law for the person or persons who leaked them, but Wikileaks only reprints; they don't actively conduct espionage. And Supreme Court rulings have clearly indicated that news services are not breaking the law when they reprint classified material passed on to them.
Whether or not these actual leaks are good, bad, or mixed, the reactions of my government is deeply disturbing, and wrong.
Sorry, PayPal, you are not doing enough. Restore Wikileaks account! Otherwise you continue to look like you are a part of the problem.
BOYCOTT PAYPAL. I’ve been boycotting this corrupt bunch of thugs for over a
decade. The attorney general of CA tried to shut this crooked outfit down but the neonazis in the federal government stopped the investigation. Nobody in their right mind would give some hidden corporate entity their bank account numbers. Wake up and get a clue. BOYCOTT PAYPAL starting now.
Re:Paypal: Flatten them ! And those like them, like VISA, MASTERCARD,AMAZON, etc. They need to feel the message… Businesses like this must fail in the world community, to make room for businesses with a different spirit: The new world is different – the new world cooperates from the heart! Julian Assange and WIKILEAKS are important symbols of a new thinking and spirit. Protect them.
Long after this issue is history, I will STILL never use PayPal. They stand united with the forces of corporate fascism. There are non-fascist alternatives.