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Reacting to violent clashes a year ago in Charlottesville, Va., between white supremacist groups and counter demonstrators, several major payment systems shut down access for supremacist organizations that used the systems to process donations. But now a social network devoted to activist causes says PayPal Holdings Inc. is still processing payments for some of these groups, and a petition it is sponsoring to demand that the company “remove hate groups from its platform now” has gathered 11,775 signatures, just short of a 12,000-signature goal. Nearly 4,000 signatures had been added between afternoon Monday and Tuesday morning.
Citing a report in the Huffington Post, an online news publication, the Care2 social network charges that PayPal is still processing donations for Three Percenters, which the network says is a “militia group” that protects white nationalists, and Proud Boys, which it calls “a far-right fascist group.”
The petition cites PayPal’s “Acceptable Use” policy, which governs such matters as whether and when the company will handle payments for merchants, and claims the San Jose, Calif.-based processor is violating it. “PayPal specifically bans the promotion of hate and racial discrimination,” the petition complains. “PayPal can limit the reach of violent hate groups, but for some reason, it is not.”
For its part, PayPal says it cannot comment on the “status” of specific clients. Nor will it comment on the record whether any particular merchant complies with its use policy. But in a statement sent to Digital Transactions News, the company argues it is actively policing its client base.
“While we cannot provide specific information on an account’s status, per company policy, we regularly assess activity against our Acceptable Use Policy,” the statement says. “We base our careful review of accounts on these parameters, taking appropriate action when individuals or organizations have violated this policy. We remain vigilant and work tirelessly to ensure that our platforms and services are not used to promote hate, violence, or discriminatory intolerance.”
The 20-year-old, Redwood City, Calif.-based Care2 network is used by activists who support a variety of causes, including human and animal rights and a “green” lifestyle. The network claims to link some 47.9 million users around the world. The Care2 site also serves as a platform for petitions supporting various causes. The site has enabled the creation of nearly 400,000 petitions.
“A pioneer of online advocacy since 1998, Care2 is a social enterprise, using the power of business as a force for good,” the network’s description reads.
While PayPal, along with other payment networks, shut off a number of far-right groups last year in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville, which injured scores of people and claimed the life of a counter-protestor, PayPal has maintained that in making these decisions it must balance groups’ beliefs against free-speech rights.
“There are times when people may find an account that is using PayPal’s services to be offensive, but because the website and organization does not violate our Acceptable Use Policy, we will continue to process payments for the account as we respect and seek to uphold the values of freedom of expression and open dialogue,” read a PayPal blog notice posted only a few days after the events in Charlottesville by Franz Paasche, senior vice president for corporate affairs and communications. “However, PayPal will—as we consistently have in the past—limit or end customer relationships and prohibit the use of our services by those that meet the thresholds of violating our policy.”
