PayPal has reportedly suspended the account of one of the last pro-democracy political parties in Hong Kong.
The League of Social Democrats posted on Wednesday that it had received an email from PayPal’s Hong Kong division that it was shuttering the left-leaning political party’s account due to unspecified “excessive risks.” The party’s revelation arrives as PayPal faces criticism of its policies related to free speech.
“We can only call on our supporters to donate via other channels … we are struggling to stay afloat in turbulence,” the group wrote, according to AFP.
PAYPAL WARNED OVER SPEECH RESTRICTIONS BY FINANCIAL REGULATOR
LSD members have faced pressure from Chinese authorities over their promotion of pro-democracy ideologies within Hong Kong. Several core members have served multiple jail terms for protests and advocacy work since LSD’s founding in 2006.
PayPal has been under scrutiny in the United States for separate reasons. The company was criticized on Sunday for updating its Acceptable Use Policy to include “misinformation” as grounds to charge users a $2,500 penalty fee in certain situations. The policy was slammed by conservatives and free speech advocates for using broad terms. The company quickly responded by saying that the update was filed as an error.
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Hong Kong has been the regular focus of Chinese crackdowns as its residents attempt to challenge the totalitarian regime of China to seek independence. This has led to several arrests, including the arrest and prosecution of a Catholic cardinal in October.
PayPal did not respond to requests for comment from the Washington Examiner.
