PayPal shuts down long-time Tor supporter • Hacker News Board

Re: PayPal shuts down long-time Tor supporter

#191

Post by astrange » Fri, Jun 04, 2021, 3:57 AM UTC

the_optimist wrote: post #113

astrange wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's easier to file a report with the CFPB: https://www.consumerfinance.gov I did get my PayPal account back by doing this, after I sent out an eBay order so fast they decided I was a scammer because the tracking info already said it arrived when I added it to the invoice.

Ironically, the CFPB exerts the regulatory pressure that causes payment processors to close accounts. I'm not sure who you're reporting to who at the link above. https://cfpbactions.com/2021/03/24/cfpb-files-lawsuit-using-...

Essentially, banks find CFPB claims so annoying that they will usually fix the issue just to make you go away. Btw, I just did this a few months ago so the system shouldn't have fallen apart since then.

Re: PayPal shuts down long-time Tor supporter

#192

Post by readflaggedcomm » Fri, Jun 04, 2021, 1:27 PM UTC

lsaferite wrote: post #19

readflaggedcomm wrote: post #5

>This is the first time we have heard about financial persecution for defending internet freedom in the Tor community. But they don't know that. Paypal refuses to give details. He describes a second recipent, the hosting company, and there could be more. Paypal's fraud and crime detection is pitiful*, and their silence can cover both incompetence and malice. [*] https://slate.com/technology/2020/02/paypal-venmo-iran-…

> they don't know that Isn't that already covered by > first time we have heard about

They didn't hear about it. They guessed. We know, because the article reveals Paypal provided no specific reasons.

But I guess that's too true for HN.

Re: PayPal shuts down long-time Tor supporter

#193

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Jun 05, 2021, 3:49 AM UTC

high_priest wrote: post #172

55555 wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A while ago I used paypal for transactions and I left some in the account so there was 100 grand. Six months later I tried to take some of it out and they froze the account despite no other recent activity. They said they'd keep it six months. Eight months or so after that, I asked about it, and they said they needed to freeze it for another six months. So soon we'll be at basically 18 months after the funds were ear…

Looks like these frozen funds resulted in gamedex.co not being paid for

[deleted]

Re: PayPal shuts down long-time Tor supporter

#194

Post by R0b0t1 » Sat, Jun 05, 2021, 6:43 AM UTC

reedjosh wrote: post #182

R0b0t1 wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Putting someone in jail is effectively fund holding and transaction blocking.

Jailing people would generate backlash far quicker than transaction blocking and fund holding. As a tool of control it can't be used as liberally, so I'd still argue crypto is a net benefit here. I'm not saying privacy isn't great, just that even without it, crypto is still useful. Privacy is absolutely an amazing force for freedom.

Not sure about that. People are generally fine with the imprisonment of people labelled as tax cheats, regardless of whether the label is accurate. The war on drugs has taken decades to reverse.

Re: PayPal shuts down long-time Tor supporter

#195

Post by Dah00n » Mon, Jun 07, 2021, 10:10 PM UTC

tremon wrote: post #168

Dah00n wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Evil is always fighting against good.

That's true only in fairy tales.

Well, then earth and life is a fairy tale.

Re: PayPal shuts down long-time Tor supporter

#196

Post by ignoramous » Tue, Jun 08, 2021, 7:10 PM UTC

unionpivo wrote: post #179

xvector wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At least cryptocurrency prevents censorship when sending funds, unlike centralized solutions. Ideally, in the long run, cryptocurrency takes on a value of its own, reducing the need to use exchanges.

> At least cryptocurrency prevents censorship when sending funds, unlike centralized solutions. right now, because it's not widely used. If it ever gets mainstream, people will give governments whatever power they need to censor and try to stop things like child pornography. And once they can censor that, they can censor other stuff as well. And I am sure you can come up with technical reasons why monero can't be cen…

The Great Firewall is bypassed by getoutline.com (self-hosted, open source), getlantern.io (once open source), and psiphon.ca (open source). There are also several other efforts that bundle multiple strategies like V2Ray.