08-12-2010, 03:53 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-12-2010, 04:09 PM by Peter Lemkin.)
Worldwide petition to stop punitive actions against Wikileaks here. Hoping for at least one million signatures.
At the Le Web conference in Paris today, PayPal vice president Osama Bedier was asked why PayPal closed the WikiLeaks account. Bedier answered "State Dept told us these were illegal activities. [So, they lied when they said it was just their 'rules' being violated!!] It was straightforward." "The answer was met with boos from the mostly European audience," reports TechCrunch.
The Wau Holland Foundation has filed a legal action against PayPal for blocking its account used for WikiLeaks payments and for libel due to PayPal's alegations of "illegal activity." The Foundation's official statement can be found here.
Datacell, the company handling WikiLeaks's credit card donations, has said that it will take legal action against Visa Europe and Mastercard. The BBC reports: "IT firm Datacell said it would move immediately to try to force the two companies to resume allowing payments to the whistle-blowing website. Iceland-based Datacell had earlier said the move by Visa and Mastercard could harm its own business."
[BBC] PayPal says US advised it to stop Wikileaks payments
PayPal said its decision was "straightforward"
PayPal has said that its decision to stop users from using its service to make donations to Wikileaks was made after advice from the US government.
A senior official at the online payments firm said the State Department had told it that the activities of the website were illegal in the US.
PayPal suspended payments to Wikileaks last week, and has been followed by Visa Europe and Mastercard.
Amazon and Swiss bank PostFinance have also cut ties with Wikileaks.
PayPal's clarification came from the firm's vice-president Osama Bedier.
He said the company had carried out its actions after receiving a letter from the State Department, adding that it was a "straightforward" decision.
PayPal is owned by US online auction giant eBay.
Legal threat
On Tuesday, Mastercard said that it was suspending payments to Wikileaks "until the situation is resolved".
Datacell says Visa and Mastercard's decisions could harm its own business
This was followed by Visa Europe on Wednesday, which said it would be carrying out an investigation into the whistle-blowing website.
Visa Europe said it wanted to determine whether the nature of Wikileaks' business "contravenes Visa operating rules".
Both companies are now facing the threat of legal action from the IT company that enables Wikileaks to accept credit and debit card donations.
Swiss-based Datacell said it would move immediately to try to force Visa Europe and Mastercard to resume allowing payments to the whistle-blowing website.
Datacell added that Visa Europe and Mastercard's actions could harm its own business.
Visa Europe and Mastercard have yet to comment on the legal threat.
Datacell's chief executive Andreas Fink urged Visa to "just simply do their business where they are good at - transferring money".
Datacell added that the suspension would last for an initial seven days, but this has yet to be confirmed by Visa Europe.
At the Le Web conference in Paris today, PayPal vice president Osama Bedier was asked why PayPal closed the WikiLeaks account. Bedier answered "State Dept told us these were illegal activities. [So, they lied when they said it was just their 'rules' being violated!!] It was straightforward." "The answer was met with boos from the mostly European audience," reports TechCrunch.
The Wau Holland Foundation has filed a legal action against PayPal for blocking its account used for WikiLeaks payments and for libel due to PayPal's alegations of "illegal activity." The Foundation's official statement can be found here.
Datacell, the company handling WikiLeaks's credit card donations, has said that it will take legal action against Visa Europe and Mastercard. The BBC reports: "IT firm Datacell said it would move immediately to try to force the two companies to resume allowing payments to the whistle-blowing website. Iceland-based Datacell had earlier said the move by Visa and Mastercard could harm its own business."
[BBC] PayPal says US advised it to stop Wikileaks payments
PayPal said its decision was "straightforward"
PayPal has said that its decision to stop users from using its service to make donations to Wikileaks was made after advice from the US government.
A senior official at the online payments firm said the State Department had told it that the activities of the website were illegal in the US.
PayPal suspended payments to Wikileaks last week, and has been followed by Visa Europe and Mastercard.
Amazon and Swiss bank PostFinance have also cut ties with Wikileaks.
PayPal's clarification came from the firm's vice-president Osama Bedier.
He said the company had carried out its actions after receiving a letter from the State Department, adding that it was a "straightforward" decision.
PayPal is owned by US online auction giant eBay.
Legal threat
On Tuesday, Mastercard said that it was suspending payments to Wikileaks "until the situation is resolved".
Datacell says Visa and Mastercard's decisions could harm its own business
This was followed by Visa Europe on Wednesday, which said it would be carrying out an investigation into the whistle-blowing website.
Visa Europe said it wanted to determine whether the nature of Wikileaks' business "contravenes Visa operating rules".
Both companies are now facing the threat of legal action from the IT company that enables Wikileaks to accept credit and debit card donations.
Swiss-based Datacell said it would move immediately to try to force Visa Europe and Mastercard to resume allowing payments to the whistle-blowing website.
Datacell added that Visa Europe and Mastercard's actions could harm its own business.
Visa Europe and Mastercard have yet to comment on the legal threat.
Datacell's chief executive Andreas Fink urged Visa to "just simply do their business where they are good at - transferring money".
Datacell added that the suspension would last for an initial seven days, but this has yet to be confirmed by Visa Europe.
"Let me issue and control a nation's money and I care not who writes the laws. - Mayer Rothschild
"Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience! People are obedient in the face of poverty, starvation, stupidity, war, and cruelty. Our problem is that grand thieves are running the country. That's our problem!" - Howard Zinn
"If there is no struggle there is no progress. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and never will" - Frederick Douglass
"Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience! People are obedient in the face of poverty, starvation, stupidity, war, and cruelty. Our problem is that grand thieves are running the country. That's our problem!" - Howard Zinn
"If there is no struggle there is no progress. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and never will" - Frederick Douglass