Sources: Stripe will no longer process payments for Trump's campaign website and fundraising efforts, after violations of policies against encouraging violence

Financial-technology company's move follows last week's riot at the Capitol — Stripe Inc. will no longer process payments …

Wall Street Journal 2021-01-11

Context & Ripple Effects

The Trump campaign had already lost a commerce channel when Shopify removed its stores for violence-policy violations. Stripe's withdrawal extends that enforcement from storefront distribution to the payment rail, following the Capitol riot.

The move also fits a prior pattern in which Square, Chase and PayPal withdrew services from a Proud Boys-affiliated store, putting payment access alongside storefront access as a policy-enforcement lever.

First-order effects

Trump's campaign and fundraising operations must replace Stripe's payment processing, while the earlier Shopify store removal leaves its online commerce and payment functions disrupted at the same time.
Stripe applies its policy against encouraging violence to a high-profile political customer, making continued processing unavailable for the campaign's website and fundraising efforts.

Second-order effects

Other payment providers serving politically charged merchants face sharper scrutiny over whether their own violence policies are enforced consistently, given the earlier withdrawals by Square, Chase and PayPal.
Campaign fundraising becomes more dependent on providers willing to carry both the transaction-processing role and the associated policy risk after Shopify and Stripe removed separate layers of online infrastructure.

Third-order effects

The episode points to distribution-layer liability becoming a durable constraint: infrastructure companies increasingly determine which political and commercial actors can access online sales and payment channels when policy violations are alleged.
If enforcement continues to span storefronts and payments, merchant resilience will depend less on any single platform and more on maintaining alternative distribution and processing arrangements.

The trend: Online infrastructure providers are treating storefront and payment access as linked policy-enforcement controls rather than neutral back-office services.

Discussion

@adamparkhomenko Adam Parkhomenko on x
Credit card processor for Trump campaign drops him https://twitter.com/...
@thekenyeung Ken Yeung on x
Stripe boots the Trump campaign. https://www.axios.com/...
@willsmith Will Smith on x
Sounds like someone finally Stopped the Steal. https://twitter.com/...
@johnstanhunter John Stanley Hunter on x
Of all the recent blows to Trump, this might be the most inconspicuous and yet one of the most effective ones: Stripe stops processing payments for Trump campaign website. https://www.wsj.com/...
@rafranzdavis Rafranz on x
Weird that all of these companies are distancing themselves from this but many elected officials are still saying to just let it go and move on. We can't and shouldn't https://twitter.com/...
@maggienyt Maggie Haberman on x
Company whose investors include Josh Kushner, Jared Kushner's brother https://twitter.com/...
@nytimesbusiness @nytimesbusiness on x
No matter where he ends up posting, it's doubtful that President Trump will ever have what he had in Facebook and Twitter, writes our columnist @kevinroose https://www.nytimes.com/...
@bueti Reinhard Btikofer on x
That “corporate autocracies” like Facebook and Twitter have the kind of centralised power that Trump took advantage of to rise and that they now apply against him, is incompatible with republican self-government. Their business model must be broken. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@deftechpat Patrick Tucker on x
Social media giants have just begun to realize they run “information warzones” and that “social media is not just a communication space but a conflict space.” https://www.defenseone.com/... great @peterwsinger piece for @DefenseOne #CapitolRiot
@mollymckew Molly McKew on x
Social media as a domain of conflict, via @peterwsinger “The reverberations of Trump's deplatforming as part of this larger shift will shake out over the long term... it fundamentally alters the playing field... this shift is long overdue.” https://www.defenseone.com/...
@mariatad Maria Tadeo on x
Twitter shares fall 7% in pre-market trading after Trump ban. Analysts say move is an editorial decision- thus opening door to more regulation https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@beirutspring Mustapha Hamoui on x
One thing @kevinroose didn't mention is the international dimension of this power. There are objectively leaders and politicians on twitter who are worse than Donald Trump, who literally call for genocide and hate. But they are left alone because those companies don't care enough
@carnage4life Dare Obasanjo on x
I've seen people claim last week was an unprecedented attack on free speech on the Internet. As @jilliancyork points out this is simply not true. Social media sites regularly suspend govt accounts all over the world. Nor can you host ISIS content anywhere https://jilliancyork.com…
@alexvtunzelmann Alex von Tunzelmann on x
This piece is an excellent fact check. https://twitter.com/...
@jilliancyork Jillian C. York on x
No, banning Trump does not “set a new precedent” and no, the Q purge isn't “the largest online purge in history” and more: https://jilliancyork.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@pjleerssen Paddy Leerssen on x
This is great: much-needed historical perspective. Talking to journalists I try to emphasize that como has a long history and today's news is rarely as new as it seems. Still its not always easy to come up with the right example on the spot. This is a great run-down. https://twit…
@rmack Rebecca MacKinnon on x
Important list by @jilliancyork of everything pundits are getting wrong about the de-platforming of US extremists. (Lots of ppl out there claim to know what they are talking about bcz they've been following the issue in the US only for maybe a few weeks.) https://twitter.com/...
@sanderphilipse Sander Philipse on x
'But what it isn't is the “largest online purge in history”—not by a long shot. I would suggest that that occurred two years ago, when Twitter kicked off more than a million alleged ISIS accounts with zero transparency and the “freeze peach” galaxy brains didn't blink.' https://t…
@mmasnick Mike Masnick on x
This is fantastic and everyone should read it (and, of course, follow and listen to Jillian if you don't already) https://twitter.com/...
@doctorow @doctorow on x
The Night of the Short Fingers saw many of the US's largest tech companies blocking Trump and trumpist platforms like Parler, provoking a storm of punditry about What It All Means for the tech companies to have taken this content moderation step. 1/ https://twitter.com/...
@doctorow @doctorow on x
The best expert I know on the subject is @jilliancyork, my @eff colleague. She's published “an ongoing list” of “everything pundits are getting wrong about this current moment in content moderation.” You should read it. https://jilliancyork.com/... 2/
@brianbergstein Brian Bergstein on x
This weekend in @GlobeIdeas, @dgolumbia says Trump's Twitter ban is just the beginning of what's necessary to reimagine the Internet as something that truly enhances democratic values rather than an absolutist view of “free speech.” https://www.bostonglobe.com/ ...
@hankgreen Hank Green on x
It is a little worrying to not know how unhinged he is right now.
@abstrusination Charlie on x
@TonyRomm @jdawsey1 Why does the Trump guy need ‘social’ media? He'd got a room especially set up to do pressers. He could even answer questions if he wanted to. I'm pretty sure every tv channel would put him on also. He could always try RT.
@eilperin Juliet Eilperin on x
Amazon has suspended the right-leaning social media platform Parler from its Web-hosting service, “ a move that threatens to darken the site indefinitely,” write @TonyRomm and @rachelerman https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@perezhilton Perez Hilton on x
Contrary to what GOP politicians disingenuously claim, this is NOT “censorship” or a “free speech” issue. This is the free market at work! This is a private business deciding how it wants to do business! There's no constitutional right to a Parler account! https://www.washingtonp…
@rashadrobinson Rashad Robinson on x
Twitter banned Trump way too late, but it is still incredibly significant that we will move forward without him having a direct line to spread disinformation, incite the public and reach an audience any time that he wants to. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@genej101 Gene J on x
The only question I have about this is why did it take so long? I have zero empathy for hate groups, people who actively want to harm those who do not look like them or think like them to demand a platform. Build your own server farm, say what you like. https://www.washingtonpost…
@stevehouf Steve Hou on x
This is a very good interview of @lloydblankfein, whose many observations herein I agree with. I particularly agree his suggestion of a mandatory “national service”. I think that's a very good thing. Have young people or HS graduates work in communities, national parks etc. https…
@lageneralista Alicia Wanless on x
At the @IOpartnership we have also been cataloguing policy proposals and initiatives researching and countering influence operations - more to follow: https://carnegieendowment.org/ ... https://twitter.com/...
@rob_airone @rob_airone on x
@JoeBiden • Concerns about a possible, secondary attack on the U.S. Capitol and state government facilities, the weekend of January 16-17, appear to be well founded • https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@lnaturale Lauren Naturale on x
Everyone should probably read this. https://www.bostonglobe.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
@kkeneally Kristina Keneally on x
Amazon Web Services suspends Parler. @ScottMorrisonMP Govt should use its customer power to make clear that it will not use internet hosting/cloud providers that host services like Parler that allow people to incite violence & plan terrorist attacks. https://www.washingtonpost.co…
@rogertansey Roger Tansey on x
So spreading lies, fomenting violence, and espousing racism finally has consequences. “Amazon delivered the biggest blow, saying it would stop offering its hosting services to Parler, a move that threatens to darken the conservative site indefinitely.” https://www.washingtonpost.…
@ericwolfson Eric Wolfson on x
But no one heard it because he was banned from Twitter. “On Friday, Trump threatened to decamp to a new social networking serving almost immediately after Twitter banned him, vowing he would ‘not be SILENCED!!’—& promising a ‘big announcement soon.’” https://www.washingtonpost.co…
@cornish_damo @cornish_damo on x
Conservative? Parler is an absolute sewer. Free speech comes with responsibility too and the lack of moderation, of incitement of violence and hate speech there shouldn't ever get a platform. https://twitter.com/...
@inteltweet Evan Kohlmann on x
Gab is arguably even a worse and less reliable online social media platform than Parler, so it remains to be seen whether that wilting band-aid alone can really fill the communications gap. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@jeremysliew @jeremysliew on x
True in business, in politics and in life: “Character really counts. The character thing in the long run always came out at the worst possible time.” - @lloydblankfein, former CEO of @GoldmanSachs https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@lukewearechange Luke Rudkowski on x
Censorship does not work and will make the problem so much worse from here. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@hasanthehun Hasanabi on x
trump was one of the best posters i've ever seen. rip to a real one.
@mattytalks John E Cakes on x
Donald Trump may be a horrible, corrupt man who foments violence, but above all other things he is a poster. When a poster loses the right to post, all of us die just a little. Rest in Posting Donnie
@mattbruenig Matt Bruenig on x
Just learning of Trump's banning from twitter. Pouring one out for a true poster. Arguably the best that ever lived. Don't agree with him on much but still respect the craft. https://twitter.com/...
@ryangrim Ryan Grim on x
Trump, as a poster, went out in a blaze of ignominious glory. But the trophy for the most blazing ban goes to the guy who did the Chiquita Banana tweet about United Fruit's longstanding respect for democracy
@kath_krueger Katherine Krueger on x
im collecting Trump's best tweets. PLEASE tell me which ones i missed, for the good of humanity and future generations https://discourseblog.com/...
@tomgara Tom Gara on x
Trump going kinda makes Elon Musk the biggest non-entertainment poster on Twitter? Truly everything coming up Elon in 2020
Vox Cameron Peters on x
Every online platform that has cracked down on Trump
@karateskool @karateskool on x
Lmaooooo this the wildest ban in history. His phone just a brick https://twitter.com/...
@davidsacks David Sacks on x
Free speech has never meant “anything goes”. Supreme Court has defined 9 major exceptions including incitement, fighting words, defamation, and fraud. Big Tech could have operated within that framework. Instead they've usurped the power to define allowed speech. Real issue.
@alexstamos Alex Stamos on x
Dear journalists, venture capitalists, TikTok teens and other ThinkFluencers: before hot-taking on how to regulate online speech, please consider reading some of the foundational work in this area. Start with @Klonick's groundbreaking overview: https://papers.ssrn.com/...
@alfiekohn Alfie Kohn on x
Talk about ambivalence: Of course it was the right decision to ban an unstable bully & relentless purveyor of disinformation from Facebook and Twitter. But how in the world did we allow the heads of private corporations to hold this much power in an ostensibly democratic society?
@politicomag @politicomag on x
Donald Trump has no particular calculating genius about social media, writes @derek_j_rob. But his biliousness and shamelessness, combined with his baked-in celebrity, found their perfect outlet in Twitter, where outrage is currency. https://ow.ly/...
@ggreenwald Glenn Greenwald on x
I wouldn't be surprised if one of the first acts of the new Dem Congress is a Resolution of Gratitude to Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook & Google execs for their patriotic censorship of Trump, Parler & other Terrorists, with encouragement to continue the anti-Terror fight.
@mattwalshblog Matt Walsh on x
At the end of Trump'a presidency, the Left, the media, the swamp, the Democrat Party, and Big Tech are all more powerful than they've ever been.
@dmihalopoulos Dan Mihalopoulos on x
Requiem for the repose of a lying machine. Here's @AP's “obituary” for @realdonaldtrump's turbulent life on this website https://apnews.com/... By @AamerISmad @colvinj
@juddlegum Judd Legum on x
I am equally impressed with Facebook and Twitter's decision to ban Trump now as Betsy DeVos and Elaine Chao's decision to resign now.
@atrupar Aaron Rupar on x
Notable that Twitter interpreted what turned out to be Trump's final tweet — one announcing he won't attend Biden's inauguration — as possible “encouragement to those potentially considering violent acts that the Inauguration would be a ‘safe’ target, as he will not be attending”…
@benedictevans Benedict Evans on x
Dos this prove Twitter and Facebook are ‘publishers’, not ‘platforms’? Neither. You might as well ask if radio is a book or a newspaper. It's neither - it's radio. Facebook and Twitter are neither - they're social networks.
@kantrowitz Alex Kantrowitz on x
LinkedIn has entered the chat https://twitter.com/...
@davidlnewhoff David Newhoff on x
This by @dgolumbia. “Twitter, Facebook and others rightly hold Trump responsible for stoking the violence. But they're also responsible for it, because they served as tools of antidemocratic propaganda.” https://twitter.com/...
@digiphile Alex Howard on x
At the end of an epochal week in @policy & US history, @Apple @Google @awscloud & now @Twilio have all deplatformed @parler_app for not removing incitement to commit acts of seditious violence, leaving the service without a Web host or App Store tomorrow. https://www.nytimes.com/…
@digiphile Alex Howard on x
The CEO of @Twitter has still not publicly commented on permanently banning a POTUS, nor amplified the company's blog post or @TwitterSafety tweet, nor answered questions about the precedent set for world leaders or elected officials who incite or glorify seditious violence here.
@rightwingwatch @rightwingwatch on x
Praying Medic, Ann Vandersteel, and intheMatrixxx have all been banned: https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@thebembridge James Bembridge on x
Sure, if Orwell were alive, he would have written a series of withering putdowns of Trump. But you can't seriously imagine that, having fought fascists, he would refer to Trump as one? https://twitter.com/...
@akurjata @akurjata on x
This is the best thing I've read yet on free speech, politicians and online moderation rules: Every case is different, context is always changing and trying to make clear and hard rules is probably an impossible task https://www.techdirt.com/...
@mimmymum @mimmymum on x
In Pulling Trump's Megaphone, Twitter Shows Where Power Now Lies While I'm pleased Trump is no longer able to spread his poison, his banning raises questions on who has control over what is given a platform. This consideration should extend to all media. https://www.nytimes.com/.…
@beirutspring Mustapha Hamoui on x
“These companies, corporate autocracies masquerading as mini-democracies, often portray their moderation decisions as the results of a kind of formulaic due process, as if “don't incite an insurrectionist mob” had been in the community guidelines all along https://www.nytimes.com…
@hugomuellervogg Dr. Hugo Mller-Vogg on x
“But it should concern everyone when companies like @Facebook and @Twitter wield the unchecked power to remove people from platforms that have become indispensable for the speech of billions.” #Trump #Capitol https://www.nytimes.com/...
@tarahaelle Tara Haelle on x
🙄 These folks are tiresome. Half don't grok 1A (that it's restricted to gov't suppression of speech & only applies in the US) & the other half insist these companies' extreme power means they should guarantee anyone a platform anyway—even if that person incites violence. https://…
@theauracl3 B Grylls on x
The cops had restraint all along. Twitter had the means to do away with nefarious accounts comprehensively like Donald's all along. It's always down to the will to do it. https://twitter.com/...
@yashar Yashar Ali on x
We truly had no idea how bad it was at the time it was happening. It was already bad enough in real-time https://twitter.com/...
@mikebutcher Mike Butcher on x
Trump has effectively been banned from Twitter *for life*. He can't just make a new account. https://twitter.com/...
@brianstelter Brian Stelter on x
Twitter execs fear that the American president poses a threat to the public. So they are intervening as a result. That's astonishing. https://view.newsletters.cnn.com/ ...
@kashhill Kashmir Hill on x
After the attack on the Capitol, facial recognition app Clearview AI saw a spike in use. Detectives are using the app to help identify rioters: https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...

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