Stripe, arguably the most important and influential payment processor, is under the microscope. Critics warn that the site’s adult content policy crackdown discriminates against LGBTQ+ creators. The company has a long history of distancing itself from the adult content. The recent revelations have sent alarm bells ringing among Twitter users and advocates across the country.
For the past few years, Stripe has been pretty clear about not wanting to be linked to anything adult-related. This position has received new prominence as payment processors are under escalating duress. Multiple global campaigns, including one spearheaded by an Australian conservationist advocacy group, are fueling this pressure. Their intent is to prevent online video game distributors from being able to sell specific pornographic games. Consequently, Stripe’s content classification policies have faced severe criticism.
According to reports, Stripe had initially been the one to first communicate that it would not allow the sale of LGBTQ+ in total. However, after immense public outcry, the company backed down and specified that only abusive content would be removed. This statement confirms our concern that it was the language from their support team that was indeed misleading. They misled consumers about the extent of the bans.
According to some Stripe employees, the ban on explicit content has been actively enforced for the past month or so. Here’s how they explained it earlier this week. As Stripe supports millions of businesses conducting online business across the globe, any vagaries in policy can be particularly damaging.
A spokesperson for Stripe confirmed that their support team had misinformed users, saying,
“The information given by our support team was totally wrong.”
This clarification led to some very heated discussions on social media platforms. Just recently, reports came out that staff were accidentally informing customers that there was, indeed, a ban on LGBTQ+ content.
The recent developments are not isolated incidents. In 2020, both Mastercard and Visa ceased allowing their cards to be used on Pornhub after a New York Times investigation revealed that the site was allegedly “infested” with child abuse videos. This action draws attention to the efforts that payment processors will go to in order to avoid the increasingly dangerous waters of hosting adult content on the internet.
In addition to Stripe, the big three payment processors—PayPal, Square, and Venmo—still refuse to allow users to buy adult content. The conversation surrounding acceptable content is evolving, particularly as companies respond to external pressures and public sentiment regarding their policies.
Similarly, we look forward to seeing what happens in terms of Stripe publicly elaborating on the specific anti-LGBTQ+ content its policies prohibits, and what steps it will take to restore customer trust.