PayPal's False Retraction of Its Policy to Pull $2,500 From Users’ Accounts If They Promote ‘Misinformation’
On October 7, 2022, Ben Zeisloft from the Daily Wire reported that a “new policy update from PayPal will permit the firm to sanction users who advance purported “misinformation” or present risks to user “wellbeing” with fines of up to $2,500 per offense.” Zeisloft further reports:
“Deliberations will be made at the ‘sole discretion’ of PayPal and may subject the user to “damages” — including the removal of $2,500 ‘debited directly from your PayPal account’ per offense. The company’s user agreement contains a provision in which account holders acknowledge that the figure is ‘presently a reasonable minimum estimate of PayPal’s actual damages’ due to the administrative cost of tracking violations and damage to the company’s reputation.”
As strange and Orwellian as that sounds, it is true.
The September 19, 2022 version of the PayPal user agreement states:
“If you’ve violated our Acceptable Use Policy, then you’re also responsible for damages to PayPal caused by your violation of this policy; or
“If you are a seller and receive funds for transactions that violate the Acceptable Use Policy, then in addition to being subject to the above actions you will be liable to PayPal for the amount of PayPal’s damages caused by your violation of the Acceptable Use Policy. You acknowledge and agree that $2,500.00 U.S. dollars per violation of the Acceptable Use Policy is presently a reasonable minimum estimate of PayPal’s actual damages – including, but not limited to, internal administrative costs incurred by PayPal to monitor and track violations, damage to PayPal’s brand and reputation, and penalties imposed upon PayPal by its business partners resulting from a user’s violation – considering all currently existing circumstances, including the relationship of the sum to the range of harm to PayPal that reasonably could be anticipated because, due to the nature of the violations of the Acceptable Use Policy, actual damages would be impractical or extremely difficult to calculate. PayPal may deduct such damages directly from any existing balance in any PayPal account you control.”
This new policy caused an uproar. Indeed, Jeny Goldsberry from the Washington Examiner reported:
“Among those who levied criticism over the retracted post was former PayPal president David Marcus.
“‘It’s hard for me to openly criticize a company I used to love and gave so much to. But PayPal’s new AUP goes against everything I believe in,’ Marcus tweeted. ‘A private company now gets to decide to take your money if you say something they disagree with. Insanity.’”
Thousands of people cancelled their PayPal accounts. The sudden crush of cancellations caused PayPal to announce that the policy statement was all a misunderstanding and they have now backed off. Goldsberry reported:
But PayPal is being disingenuous. The PayPal retraction is itself misinformation. While the word misinformation was removed from the AUP notice, the concept was not. Notice that PayPal references the AUP. It steers clear of the PayPal User Agreement. The user agreement is clear. Anyone who is a PayPal account holder who provides “false, inaccurate or misleading information” is subject to the liquidated damage payment of $2,500 per incident that will be withdrawn directly from the account’s existing balance. The determination of what is false is within the complete discretion of PayPal.
The PayPal User Agreement states:
“In connection with your use of our websites, your PayPal account, the PayPal services, or in the course of your interactions with PayPal, other PayPal customers, or third parties, you must not: … Provide false, inaccurate or misleading information.”
Nobody can argue that it is a good thing to provide false, inaccurate or misleading information. But when the truth is mislabeled as a lie by liars then we have a problem. And that is exactly what is happening. The truth is being mislabelled by PayPal and others as “false, inaccurate or misleading information.”
Cullen McCue, writing for National File, on October 9, 2022, reported that “PayPal has closed the accounts of a number of prominent conservatives, COVID-19 vaccine skeptics and other purveyors of viewpoints deemed problematic by company brass. The announced [$2,500 fine] policy came just days after PayPal de-platformed a British parents group that fought back against COVID school closures.”
It is fine for PayPal to disagree with what someone says, but it should allow those disagreeable ideas be contested openly in the marketplace of ideas. When PayPal and others seek to censor ideas from the marketplace, then we have the only to look forward to the perpetuation of error. PayPal and the major media outlets have contempt for what they do not understand. William H. Poole explains: “There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all argument, and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance. This principle is, contempt prior to examination.” God says it best: “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” (Proverbs 18:13)
Twitter and YouTube are good examples of calling truthful reporting “misinformation.” For instance, the YouTube Vaccine Misinformation Policy provides the following pertinent provisions:
YouTube doesn’t allow content that poses a serious risk of egregious harm by spreading medical misinformation about currently administered vaccines that are approved and confirmed to be safe and effective by local health authorities and by the World Health Organization (WHO). This is limited to content that contradicts local health authorities’ or the WHO’s guidance on vaccine safety, efficacy, and ingredients.
“What this policy means for you
“If you’re posting content
“Don’t post content on YouTube if it includes harmful misinformation about currently approved and administered vaccines on any of the following:
“Vaccine safety: content alleging that vaccines cause chronic side effects, outside of rare side effects that are recognized by health authorities
“Efficacy of vaccines: content claiming that vaccines do not reduce transmission or contraction of disease
“Ingredients in vaccines: content misrepresenting the substances contained in vaccines”
Each one of the examples of false claims by YouTube has been proven to be true. Yet YouTube calls those true statements misinformation. You can expect the same kind of behavior from PayPal.
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20.
For the truth of the statements that vaccines are unsafe and ineffective read the following articles.
Vaccines are Superstitious Quackery