TheRetroArcade
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The FTC warned Mastercard, PayPal, and others against denying consumers the right to buy what they want, saying that "access to such infrastructure and services is essential for Americans’ participation in everyday commerce."
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The US Federal Trade Commission has sent letters to the CEOs of Mastercard,Visa, PayPal, and Stripe, raising concerns about "financial services companies denying their customers access to services due to their political or religious views," and warning that they could face investigations and "potential enforcement action" if they're found to be doing so.
The move comes less than a year after Valve said Mastercard pressured it to remove a number of NSFW games from Steam. Mastercard countered by saying it "has not evaluated any game or required restrictions of any activity on game creator sites and platforms," and that it allows "all lawful purchases." The net result was a ball of confusion in which Mastercard did not have a direct hand in the removal of games, but payment processors—who use Mastercard's technology and network to actually facilitate transactions—forced the matter because of Mastercard's policies, specifically in that instance, rule 5.12.7, "illegal or brand-damaging transactions."
In the letters sent to the four CEOs (via XBiz, a very NSFW website), FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson wrote that "full participation in commerce and public life necessarily requires that law-abiding individuals can access, and freely participate in, our financial system."
"Mastercard’s services include, among [other] things, processing payments made through credit cards and debit cards through its card network," Ferguson wrote. "Access to such infrastructure and services is essential for Americans' participation in everyday commerce, and—directly or indirectly—for the exercise of core rights and freedoms."
I'm obliged to note here that Ferguson and the FTC aren't riding to the rescue of beleaguered gamers with this move. The FTC said the letters are essentially reminders of an executive order issued by US president Donald Trump in August 2025, which cited "financial institutions [who] participated in Government-directed surveillance programs ...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
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The US Federal Trade Commission has sent letters to the CEOs of Mastercard,Visa, PayPal, and Stripe, raising concerns about "financial services companies denying their customers access to services due to their political or religious views," and warning that they could face investigations and "potential enforcement action" if they're found to be doing so.
The move comes less than a year after Valve said Mastercard pressured it to remove a number of NSFW games from Steam. Mastercard countered by saying it "has not evaluated any game or required restrictions of any activity on game creator sites and platforms," and that it allows "all lawful purchases." The net result was a ball of confusion in which Mastercard did not have a direct hand in the removal of games, but payment processors—who use Mastercard's technology and network to actually facilitate transactions—forced the matter because of Mastercard's policies, specifically in that instance, rule 5.12.7, "illegal or brand-damaging transactions."
In the letters sent to the four CEOs (via XBiz, a very NSFW website), FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson wrote that "full participation in commerce and public life necessarily requires that law-abiding individuals can access, and freely participate in, our financial system."
"Mastercard’s services include, among [other] things, processing payments made through credit cards and debit cards through its card network," Ferguson wrote. "Access to such infrastructure and services is essential for Americans' participation in everyday commerce, and—directly or indirectly—for the exercise of core rights and freedoms."
I'm obliged to note here that Ferguson and the FTC aren't riding to the rescue of beleaguered gamers with this move. The FTC said the letters are essentially reminders of an executive order issued by US president Donald Trump in August 2025, which cited "financial institutions [who] participated in Government-directed surveillance programs ...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?