PayPal Admits State Department Pressure Caused It To Block WikiLeaks

[Jordan]

"[The] State Dept told us these were illegal activities. It was straightforward," Bedier said at Le Web. "We [...] comply with regulations around the world, making sure that we protect our brand."

He added, according to Mashable, "We have an acceptable use policy group [...] to make sure that our customers are protected."

Bedier later clarified that the State Department did not address PayPal directly, but wrote a letter to WikiLeaks explaining that the organization's actions were illegal. It was this letter that prompted PayPal to act. "As long as WikiLeaks holds such material, the violation of the law is ongoing," the State Department said in the correspondence.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/08/paypal-admits-us-state-de_n_793708.html

So PayPal cut off Wikileaks because the State Department said to Wikileaks what Wikileaks was doing is illegal. Not as exciting after reading it past the headline, but whatever. PayPal decided on its own merits, wtf headline? Pressure?

[cswake]

http://gawker.com/5709579/paypal-busted-for-bogus-wikileaks-excuse


Speaking at the LeWeb conference in Paris, PayPal VP Osama Bedier faced "boos from the mostly European audience (http://techcrunch.com/2010/12/08/paypal-wikileaks/)" when he was asked why PayPal froze Wikileaks' account. He responded:

[speciallyblend]

pretty obvious! nothing new from the us gov! they make up the rules as they go!

[Dr.3D]

pretty obvious! nothing new from the us gov! they make up the rules as they go!

That's called 'Winging it.'

[pcosmar]

That's called 'Winging it.'
In prison they called it Rule #25 Making Threats

:mad:

[TonySutton]

Can someone explain why the state dept would be talking to Paypal about legal issues and not the Department of Justice?

[pcosmar]

Can someone explain why the state dept would be talking to Paypal about legal issues and not the Department of Justice?

Nope
But then I can't give you any good reason for the government to violate free speech, or call for the assassination of a journalist.
:mad:

[reagle]

Updated Statement about WikiLeaks from PayPal General Counsel

While the account will remain restricted, PayPal will release all remaining funds in the account to the foundation that was raising funds for WikiLeaks.

https://www.thepaypalblog.com/2010/12/updated-statement-about-wikileaks-from-paypal-general-counsel-john-muller/

[oyarde]

Can someone explain why the state dept would be talking to Paypal about legal issues and not the Department of Justice?

Weird , my first thought as well , second thought was , why would state dept . have any leverage over them ?

[ClayTrainor]

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:2YetaDK7NgBxVM:http://www.pmciwholesale.com/imagesandpdfs/Shocked.jpg&t=1

I'm so surprised. :rolleyes:

[HOLLYWOOD]

So, I presume the VISA and Master Card are going to shutdown Hillary Clintons's accounts and the State Department's and the CIA's credit cards accounts?

They are conducting actual criminal activity here in the US against members of the United Nations and Foreign dignitaries with them stealing Credit Card numbers, cyber usage, biometrics, etc etc.

Perfect example of US government/corporate hypocrisy.

Go ahead PayPal... shutdown Hillary's accounts... and everyone else in government that has conducted the same.

[Peter Dow]

YouTube - Condi whips WikiLeaks. Condoleezza Rice politically dominates Julian Assange. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR28JqhP9Gk)

Rice for President Yahoo Group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rice-for-president/)

December 3, 2010. Condoleezza Rice replies to a question by Katie Couric and one from a member of a studio audience about WikiLeaks.


I think what has happened is a crime. It is up to the Justice Department to figure out exactly what crime it is but it's got to be prosecuted and punished or it's going to keep happening and I hope the penalty is really severe because maybe that will deter this kind of behaviour.

The United States cannot exist in a world where we can't share information within the government with the expectation that is somehow going to end up on the front pages of newspapers. You can't do business that way. So I hope it is prosecuted and prosecuted severely.

The event was organised by the Council on Foreign Relation for their HBO History Makers Series.

http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/5664/condiwhipswikileaks.jpg

Wikileaks - Heroes, Villains, Other?

My answer "Villains", right now, primarily because Condoleezza Rice as my choice for world leader says so.

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/5650/theindependentwikileaks.jpg (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/wikileaks-vs-the-machine-2155031.html)
The British Newspaper The Independent: WikiLeaks vs The Machine (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/wikileaks-vs-the-machine-2155031.html)

If, as the Independent says, this is a fight between WikiLeaks and "The Machine", I, for one, am siding with the machine.

http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/5404/condisealnewriceforpres.jpg http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/5665/riseoftheneoconcrop.jpg

I, at least, know the value of discipline and loyalty to the leaders of the free world, whereas it seems Assange and WikiLeaks want to make the headlines irrespective of outcome - sometimes doing good, sometimes risking danger to others.

WikiLeaks is too anarchic right now and Condi should be supported as and when she decides to crack the whip on them.

As Condoleezza Rice, who is, in my opinion anyway, the leader of the free world, precisely promotes freedom and human dignity for all the people in the world therefore WikiLeaks should be more careful to take their lead from her.

I think WikiLeaks needs a new management ethos and organisation hierarchy which works with Condi and her staff at the US State Department (or ex-staff but you know what I mean).

If Assange and WikiLeaks come to order, give an undertaking to toe the line and generally work with "the machine" then maybe Condi will be less severe in the punishments she is looking for.

Generally it is the best advice to appease Condi and give her what she is asking for, most times anyway. The "New World Order" is not an Imperial dictatorship but the world does need a president and it should be Condi, not Assange.