Paypal and hate crimes
- Details
- Published on Friday, 16 June 2017 07:30
- Written by editor
Far right extremists and racist groups use companies like Mastercard, PayPal, and Visa to fund their hate-filled work.
It's time to demand financial corporations take responsibility for who they do business with.
Sign the petitionA,
This week, 30,000 SumOfUs members stopped PayPal from working with a racist, violent white supremacist group in Europe. The group, ‘The Identitarians’; was trying to raise money using PayPal to fund its disgusting work of sabotaging rescue boats saving refugees from drowning in the Mediterranean.
Unfortunately, PayPal isn’t the only corporation profiting off of hate. Financial companies like MasterCard and Visa are making blood money by providing financial services to white nationalist groups all around the world.
People die from hate crimes. Mastercard, Paypal, and Visa have the power and responsibility to stop that -- NOW.
‘The Identitarians’ tried to block a boat set to save people from drowning in the Mediterranean Sea. They were arrested during their hateful endeavour but used PayPal to collect 60,000 Euros to take their attacks to a whole new level. Luckily, SumOfUs members were able to put pressure PayPal into cancelling the transactions, freeze The Identitarians’ account, and start a bigger conversation about working with hate groups around the world.
PayPal isn’t alone. Financial institutions around the world help fund hate every single day. For instance, MasterCard and Visa are processing donations to groups like Stormfront, the notorious white supremacist hate site. In the past decade alone, Stormfront members have murdered close to 100 people. Stormfront is able to fund itself by bringing in thousands of dollars in online donations every month made possible by credit card companies like MasterCard and Visa.
Credit card companies like MasterCard and Visa have made supporting hate groups and violence easier than ever through online donations but are refusing to take responsibility. A few days ago, Richard Spencer’s National Policy Institute used donations processed by Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express to organize and lead torch-wielding mob chanting racist slogans terrorizing people of color.
These companies make peanuts off of these hate sites, but for hate groups, that money is their lifeline. Without the ability to bring in online donations, many hate groups and their websites would collapse.
It is reprehensible that these companies are so willing to sit idly by while violent groups and militants encourage their followers to PayPal them. Each of these companies has a precedent of cutting off access to their cards and services in instances where they deem it important - so why do they continue to turn a blind eye to white supremacist groups?
Thanks for all you do,
Eoin, Angus, and the SumOfUs team
More information:
Far right raises £50,000 to target boats on refugee rescue missions in Med. Guardian. 3 June 2017.
SPLC REPORT: NEARLY 100 MURDERED BY STORMFRONT USERS. Southern Poverty Law Center. 17 April 2017.
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