PAYPAL has been accused of discriminating against gender-critical views after closing down a number of accounts, allegedly without providing a clear reason.
Toby Young said his Free Speech Union, his website the Daily Sceptic and his personal accounts have all been closed and has said he believes the company targeted him for his political views.
The Free Speech Union has campaigned against drag queens reading to children in schools and has made calls to the Government demanding pupils are not taught what it calls “radical gender theory”.
Joanna Cherry KC, the SNP MP for Edinburgh South West who has criticised her own party for its position on transgender issues, has said if Young’s allegations he was targeted for his views were true, PayPal was discriminating on the basis of political beliefs.
She joined a chorus of outrage against the move on social media, with supporters of Young and his outlets threatening to close their accounts with the company.
Young told The Telegraph he suspected the company had closed his accounts following complaints from trans rights activists.
He said: “If PayPal had shut down just one of these accounts it’s conceivable it could be because it had violated the company’s Acceptable Use Policy. But it closed all three accounts within minutes of each other, suggesting there’s a more sinister reason.
“I suspect it’s because in reality PayPal doesn’t value free expression and open dialogue or the people and organisations that stand up for those principles.”
In so far as @PayPal provides goods & services in the UK it should be subject to our anti-discrimination laws. If as alleged this action was prompted by complaints about @SpeechUnion support for gender-critical views then its discriminatory. Complain here 👇 https://t.co/9qf5V7Yy7q
— Joanna Cherry KC (@joannaccherry) September 21, 2022
Young insisted neither he nor his two outlets had acted against the company’s policies against banned transactions which include illegal payments or schemes to scam people out of money.
He added: “Withdrawing financial services from dissidents and non-conformists and those who dare to defend them is the new frontline in the ongoing war against free speech.
“The Free Speech Union will be lobbying the Government to put new laws in to prevent companies like PayPal demonetising organisations and individuals because their employees disapprove of their views.”
Cherry shared a tweet encouraging people to complain against the company, adding: “In so far as [PayPal] provides goods and services in the UK it should be subject to our anti-discrimination laws.
“If as alleged this action was prompted by complaints about [the Free Speech Union’s] support for gender-critical views then it’s discriminatory. Complain here.”
She shared a link to the complaints section of the company’s website.
Lord Frost – a die-hard Boris Johnson loyalist – also shared the post, saying the development was “very worrying”. He urged the Financial Conduct Authority to investigate.
The firm told The Telegraph that PayPal does not comment on individual accounts but “regularly assesses activity against our long-standing Acceptable Use Policy and will discontinue our relationship with account holders who are found to violate our policies”.
A company source said the PayPal banned accounts which were linked to spreading misinformation about the Covid vaccine or which promoted "hate speech".
