#payment processors

[michaelwaev]

I really think we should stop saying "kid-friendly" and start saying "ad-friendly". We shouldn't indulge these companies and their excuses anymore. I also think that continuing to pretend that this is about "protecting the children" pushes a lot of the blame onto kids and teens, who don't have the political power to push through any of this censorship legislature. Corporations and governments are to blame.

[tendermiasma]

Subscribestar quietly updated their TOS yesterday to ban a load of previously allowed content at the behest of payment processors. There are no safe platforms. This will keep happening and we have to fight back.

The government is asking for public comments on whether banks should be able to deny you from buying legal goods at their own whim (i.e. how they're cracking down on art, Substar, itch, Patreon, etc)

This is your chance to tell them directly that you don't want to be told how to spend your money:

Federal Reserve Board - Proposal Details

The Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington DC.

✨ Guidance on submitting an effective comment per the Free Speeh Coalition via ECR News:

"YES it's a good idea to comment on this as ero creatives. the FSC is also submitting a comment. Summarized advice from the FSC (from their lobbyists) was that you should tell your story/explain why the issue is important to you, and – most importantly – clearly say what you want the Fed to do about it. In this case, eliminating "reputation risk" from the Board's supervisory programs."

Before anyone suspects this is only going to benefit republican institutions, remember that last year the OCC specifically named adult industries as a sector facing unfair debankment.

Please leave a comment as so many others have done already! Artists need you and you're going to need you too because they never stop with what you personally find distasteful. They are insatiable and you will watch your livelihoods, what you love, disappear too.

[the-creature-verse]

Guys, it got so much freaking worse. KOSA is bad, but SCREEN is even worse, somehow.

Text - S.737 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): SCREEN Act

Text for S.737 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): SCREEN Act

"Sen. Mike Lee has introduced the SCREEN ACT, a bill that applies the "harmful to minors" standard used to ban LGBTQ+ books and resources in schools and libraries and apply it nationally to the internet.

Any site that has any amount of material "harmful to minors" would be forced to employ surveillance tech (biometric scans, ID uploads, background checks) to prevent minors from accessing "pornography."

You will not be surprised to learn that this is backed by the Heritage Foundation.

Unlike some of the state age-verification laws, many of which are being challenged in court, SC will be enforced by the FTC, which has the ability to levy fines, raid business and freeze bank accounts. Yes, meaning that even non-for-profits like Ao3 will suffer.

This is something for all US users to keep on their radar. Call your reps, call your senators, and spread the word to protect our archive!"

- When talking with Republicans play up the fact that this would force Elon to implement age verification systems on X (yes do call it X during the call). Elon's been threatening to primary Republicans who stand in his way so there's fear of him. Also play up concerns about "Liberals" doxxing people or Chinese hackers.

- When talking with Democrats, play up the connections to Project 2025 and suggest voters will not be happy to see Democrats siding with it.

Republicans:

Ted Cruz, Texas (Chairman) - Phone: [phone]

John Thune, South Dakota - Phone: [phone]

Roger Wicker, Mississippi - Phone: [phone]

Deb Fischer, Nebraska - Phone: [phone]

Jerry Moran, Kansas - Phone: [phone]

Dan Sullivan, Alaska - Phone: [phone]

Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee - Phone: [phone]

Todd Young, Indiana - Phone: [phone]

Ted Budd, North Carolina - [phone]

Eric Schmitt, Missouri - [phone]

John Curtis, Utah - Phone: [phone]

Bernie Moreno, Ohio - Phone: [phone]

Tim Sheehy, Montana - Phone: [phone]

Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia - Phone: [phone]

Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming - Phone: [phone]

Democrats:

Maria Cantwell, Washington (Ranking Member) - Phone: [phone]

Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota - Phone: [phone]

Brian Schatz, Hawaii - Phone: [phone]

Ed Markey, Massachusetts - Phone: [phone]

Gary Peters, Michigan - Phone: [phone]

Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin - Phone: [phone]

Tammy Duckworth, Illinois - Phone: [phone]

Jacky Rosen, Nevada - Phone: [phone]

Ben Ray Luján, New Mexico - Phone: [phone]

John Hickenlooper, Colorado - Phone: [phone]

John Fetterman, Pennsylvania - Phone: [phone]

Andy Kim, New Jersey - Phone: [phone]

Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware - Phone: [phone]

SCRIPT

Hi, my name is [], and I am one of Senator []’s constituents. I live in [city, zip code - leave your full address if leaving a voicemail].

I am calling in regards to a bill that was recently introduced in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transport: the SCREEN act.

I am asking Senator [] to either take no action or vote against this bill because of its implications for freedom of speech. [insert one of the other concerns listed above]. Thank you for your time and for listening to my concerns.

[krakaheimr]

Earlier this year, Itch.io and Steam had to take down games due to pressure from companies like Mastercard, Visa, Paypal, and Stripe.

Mastercard, Visa, and other payment processors are still targeting material they deem obscene - whether or not it actually is.

We need to start calling again. Even if you don't like NSFW stuff or dislike porn - porn and nsfw is only the start of what they'll go after.

Among Mastercard's list of "high fraud risk" subjects in relation to Mastercard Threat Intelligence are the following:

Vtubing

Adult Content (which they define very loosely)

Tabletop Games

Video Games & their platforms

And likely more.

They're likely targeting political activism now in addition to this, and people who speak out against the companies. Notably now, Ana Valens is repeatedly having her payment processing accounts and platforms taken down or flagged as potential fraud - Buy Me A Coffee, Throne, Ko-Fi, Patreon - and in some cases, customer support from these platforms are citing information that hasn't been put on their platforms when explaining why they've targeted her accounts.

Completely SFW accounts of hers have been targeted, likely due to her speaking up about what the payment processors are doing and because of what she makes as a creative. She is at risk of debanking. (Edit: The old link now links to a deleted post. Here's a new one to the same person about the situation)

Ana Valens | 🔞 (@acvalens.com)

Paypros censorship 🧵 As you all know, I've faced significant stress this month from having various online accounts dinged in some shape or

This happening to her means that other creators - Vtubers, game devs of both video games and tabletop games, creatives, sex workers - are likely at risk of the same. For many, it's already happening to them.

Companies and corporations should not have the power to censor what people say and do, or where their money goes - political power like this should not lie in their hands.

We need to start calling the payment processors again and making noise. Contact people in your circles, talk to people, spread the word. Contact your representatives about censorship laws. Spend less money this holiday season.

This is not just about sex work or NSFW. This is about people's right to decide what they spend their money on, and in some cases, people's right to access their finances. It's about creative expression and whether or not what we make gets censored, about what we get to say online.

Below are some resources that include info on phone numbers to call, email addresses belonging to the offending companies, and how to call. Start making noise again. Focus on the fact that companies should not have this power over what people spend their money on, at all.

Protect Queer Creators and Sex Workers - Tell Payment Processors to STOP

TELL VISA, MASTERCARD, STRIPE, and PayPal to STOP

Dieselbrain (@dieselbrain.bsky.social)

#SaveSpeech starting Nov 1st we're entering the holiday season, which is a big stress point for big businesses like Mastercard and Visa. Th

[homucifer-ryotan]

PSA for Canadians. EDIT (September 16th): The petition is up until October 25th. You have plenty of time still to sign.

Link source

[lilithsaintcrow]

"That was the intent, but the decision we made was an abandonment of the core counterculture, f*ck the establishment spirit of Kickstarter, and it left our community vulnerable."

An Apology: Rethinking Our Mature Content Guidelines

Last week, we released a set of updates to our rules around mature content. It was our first time publishing a set of detailed, specific gui

[silvermoon424]

Endlessly funny to me that I, a sex-repulsed aromantic asexual, have infinitely fewer hangups about sex and sexuality than the average heterosexual Evangelical. The thought of having sex myself makes me feel nauseous and I don't enjoy porn/most erotic content, but I am enthusiastically giving allo people who enjoy that stuff two thumbs up and defending their right to goon. I am pro-sex and pro-gooning, just not for me.

That's why it's also funny to me that a lot of aphobes and exclusionists act like asexual people are the ones driving purity culture and sexual repression. Like I'm pretty sure it's actually the religious fundamentalists who WANT to have sex/masturbate/etc but have been repressed about sexuality to the point where they think they'll go to hell if they experience sexual pleasure or desire outside of an extremely narrow context.

[asexual-thot]

Hey this might be another method for USA Americans to protest payment processor censorship, what with paypal closing people's accounts for selling and buying adult content.