This weekend social media lit up with a story that PayPal updated their Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) with terms that would allow that payment platform to penalize users up to $2,500 for various violations. This update came after the company originally announced that an update was coming back in September.
Although this new policy, which was apparently sent out in error, covered a wide range of potential violations, the one that has social media in a frenzy is the tidbit on promoting misinformation.
My message to PayPal as to why I closed my account, "I will not support a company that restricts free speech and can fine/ steal cash from my account. This isn't China!"#BankruptPaypal
— Catherine Buchanan (@CBuch64) October 9, 2022
PayPal rolling into your account when you post a meme they don’t like pic.twitter.com/DGQLJkVUIL
— Trung Phan (@TrungTPhan) October 9, 2022
Even the company’s former president took a shot at the policy on Twitter.
It’s hard for me to openly criticize a company I used to love and gave so much to. But @PayPal’s new AUP goes against everything I believe in. A private company now gets to decide to take your money if you say something they disagree with. Insanity. https://t.co/Gzf8faChUb
— David Marcus (@davidmarcus) October 8, 2022
PayPal’s user agreement stated they could take action on users who participated in restricted activities and those actions included holding on to users’ money indefinitely. A copy of this AUM can be found on the wayback machine, which stated “you will be liable to PayPal for the amount of PayPal’s damages caused by your violation of the Acceptable Use Policy” at the amount of $2,500 per violation.

After social media caught wind of the story, the company told the Epoch Times in an email, “An AUP notice recently went out in error that included incorrect information. PayPal is not fining people for misinformation and this language was never intended to be inserted in our policy.”
The whole debacle has people on edge, as more stories come out related to Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), and the potential actions governments can take to seize the funds of ordinary citizens.
You think PayPal is bad. Wait until you see what they can do with CBDCs.
— James Lavish (@jameslavish) October 9, 2022
Information for this briefing was found via Twitter, the Epoch Times, and Paypal. The author has no securities or affiliations related to this organization. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
One Response
I have never received any such notice(e-mail) snail mail . So for now I’ll keep my account open until something is more concrete … I would close if there were any truth to this , even if it never happened to me.