(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) At the beginning of October, PayPal was mired in controversy over its plan to “fine” users $2,500 for the alleged spreading of “misinformation,” a word increasingly used by left-wing propagandists to denote any deviation from or criticism of the official state orthodoxy.
The company halted the initiative as users angrily called them out online and left the platform.
In response, the banking app claimed to have backpedaled on the policy and insisted it had been included in the recent changes to its terms of service agreement by accident.
“An [Accepted Use Policy] notice recently went out in error that included incorrect information,” said a company spokesperson. “PayPal is not fining people for misinformation and this language was never intended to be inserted in our policy. We’re sorry for the confusion this has caused.”
According to Big League Politics, PayPal quietly added the fines back into their terms of service this week.
Backlash ensued once again, with a greater amount of users threatening to leave the platform than after the initial announcement.
paypal straight up liedhttps://t.co/OK5EOn9qtc https://t.co/JinT8SdV42
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) October 27, 2022
So maybe it wasn’t a clerical error? I am shocked
— Lawrence Lepard, "fix the money, fix the world" (@LawrenceLepard) October 27, 2022
According to their terms of service, what PayPal considers to be “misinformation” is extremely vague, leading many to believe that nearly anything they say could result in the hefty fine.
The terms include the phrase “other forms of intolerance” in their definition of “misinformation,” making it so broad that it essentially gives “PayPal the perceived right to withdraw $2,500 from users accounts for voicing opinions that PayPal disagrees with.”
After their first attempt at installing this policy, Google searches for “delete PayPal” spiked by 1,392%.
Several influential users also left the platform, making public announcements on their way out the door.
Just moved all money I had in my PayPal account out of it. And I very must suggest you do the same.
This is serious.
They are delaying the transfer “pending review” for 12 hours. But at least it’s done. #PayPal is dead. pic.twitter.com/Cr1EA1yQjh
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) October 8, 2022
After its reassurances failed and the company’s stock began to plummet, PayPal even bribed users to get them to stay, offering $15 a piece to prevent more account closures.
Do not take their $15 bribe. Delete your PayPal account. https://t.co/lFd7QBxG7M
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) October 13, 2022
House Republicans launched and inquiry, sending a letter to PayPal’s CEO asking how the policy originated, how it got approved and whether the Biden administration was involved.
The company has not publicly addressed the GOP’s letter, nor the recent discovery that the policy remained in the terms of service.
