[–]Xtrq0 points
2 points
2 points
(+2|-0)
ago
(edited ago)
Agreed. The act of censorship need not involve police or soldiers locking the doors to a library, bookstore or art gallery.
When American Express, Mastercard and Visa stop providing financial services to Backpage.com, that's a subtle form of censorship. When Paypal refuses to process payments to Protonmail.ch, Wikileaks, SeekingArrangement.com, etc. that's a subtle form of censorship.
Paypal's refusal to process donations to Voat is also a form of censorship.
[–] Xtrq 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago (edited ago)
Agreed. The act of censorship need not involve police or soldiers locking the doors to a library, bookstore or art gallery.
When American Express, Mastercard and Visa stop providing financial services to Backpage.com, that's a subtle form of censorship. When Paypal refuses to process payments to Protonmail.ch, Wikileaks, SeekingArrangement.com, etc. that's a subtle form of censorship.
Paypal's refusal to process donations to Voat is also a form of censorship.
New times, new modalities of censorship.
references:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/01/backpagecom-credit-cards_n_7705708.html --
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jul/02/paypal-protonmail-secure-email-indiegogo --
http://gawker.com/5709579/paypal-busted-for-bogus-wikileaks-excuse --
http://www.wired.com/2010/12/paypal-wikileaks/ --
http://www.thenation.com/article/pierre-omidyar-paypal-blocking-wikileaks-funds-and-upcoming-anonymous-trial/ --
http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21654669-very-old-solution-new-problem-teaspoon-sugar --
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/paypal-cuts-off-reddit-clone-voat-over-obscenity --
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2015/06/23/this-is-what-happens-when-you-create-an-online-community-without-any-rules-part-2/ --