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PayPal blocks school shooting simulator dev from making sales online

spam musubi

spam musubi

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,381
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/artic...ooting-simulator-dev-from-making-sales-online

Acid Software, the developer of a school shooting simulator recently removed from Steam, will now struggle to sell its products online thanks to a move by PayPal.

The Active Shooter developer said this week that purchases of its highly controversial game were "temporarily disabled" while it tried to resolve issues with PayPal.

The online payment platform confirmed it has closed the account, resulting in a flurry of outrage from the condemned developer on both Twitter and online message boards, toting hashtags such as "QuitCensoringUs" and "WeWillBeBack".

"PayPal has a longstanding, well-defined and consistently enforced Acceptable Use Policy, and regardless of the individual or organisation in question, we work to ensure that our services are not used to accept payments for activities that promote violence," PayPal said in a statement.
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This is pretty unprecedented, right? I haven't really heard of PayPal disabling payments for a game for content reasons before.
 
methane47

methane47

Member
Oct 28, 2017
879
Paypal is legendary for being dicks with payments. They will disable your account for the smallest reason. This does not surprise me one bit.
That said, im not torn up about a school shooting sim getting denied funds.
 

Deleted member 1413

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
8,617
That's cool.
Games that controversial for controversy's sake are trouble for everyone involved so it's nice that they can't monetize the outrage
 
low-G

low-G

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,144
When you're evil 24 hours a day, you're good twice a day. Good guy Paypal.
 
PrintedCrayon

PrintedCrayon

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
771
Seadome
"PayPal has a longstanding, well-defined and consistently enforced Acceptable Use Policy, and regardless of the individual or organisation in question, we work to ensure that our services are not used to accept payments for activities that promote violence," PayPal said in a statement.
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Huh, guess they had better stop processing payments for video games in general then.
 
tommy7154

tommy7154

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,370
Paypal is pretty notorious for doing this shit and its not always nearly as bad as a school shooting sim.
 
Raven117

Raven117

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,112
What do the Acceptable Use Standards say?

While I like the result in this matter, I do not think that a financial service should be in the business of making a determination of what can and cannot be purchased using their system if the product itself is legal.

But, that said, there is nothing stopping another payment method to be used, or another company offering the same service to try and step in. So, I guess its fine.

As a general rule, I think businesses leaning in too far in politics is a bad idea, but there are exceptions to that.
 
Disclaimer

Disclaimer

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,532
PrintedCrayon said:
Huh, guess they had better stop processing payments for video games in general then.
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You don't see the difference between video games in general and a school shooting simulator, when the United States has a school shooting epidemic?

Yeah, the wording is technically over-broad, but the intent is clear, because such a game has unique relevance to real life violence.
 
qa_engineer

qa_engineer

Member
Dec 27, 2017
484
I get free speech and all but creating a game based on school shootings is about as classless, heartless, and scummy as it gets these days. Good for Paypal for having a moral compass
 
_ifigured

_ifigured

Member
Oct 29, 2017
2,302
Corporations count as individual people in U.S. politics. They can conduct their own business in whatever way suits them. This decision just happens to suit society as a whole, aside from mass shooting enthusiasts, I suppose.
 
RumbleHumble

RumbleHumble

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,128
Oh boy, the "censorship" crowd are at it again, defending their God given right to pretend to shoot up school children.
 
fourfourfun

fourfourfun

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,684
England
Raven117 said:
I do not think that a financial service should be in the business of making a determination of what can and cannot be purchased using their system if the product itself is legal.
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I find that the issue here is that there is a disconnect between legal and ethical.

Under the banner of legality, I've noted that people will avert their eyes right up until the point there is a topic that directly affects them, at which point they want action. How is this thing allowed etc.
 
PrintedCrayon

PrintedCrayon

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
771
Seadome
Lopez said:
"Promote"

I'm sure you're just trolling
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Just making a little joke, no trolling here.

But lets face it, most FPS games do somewhat glamorise violence, not in the way this rancid school shooter game did however.

Disclaimer said:
You don't see the difference between video games in general and a school shooting simulator, when the United States has a school shooting epidemic?

Yeah, the wording is technically over-broad, but the intent is clear, because such a game has unique relevance to real life violence.
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As I said above, I was just making a little joke.

Of course I can see the clear distinction between something like this ugly and perverse game compared to something like a Call of Duty.
 
StudioTan

StudioTan

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,836
nynt9 said:
This is pretty unprecedented, right? I haven't really heard of PayPal disabling payments for a game for content reasons before.
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Nope, they do it with adult games as well on platforms like Patreon. Regular sex games are fine, but if you include stuff like bestiality or incest they force Patreon to either have you alter the content or they remove your account.

https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/23...trict-adult-content-on-its-crowdfunding-site/

(Warning link may be NSFW!)
 
Falconbox

Falconbox

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,600
Buffalo, NY
Doesn't PayPal also not allow you to pay for porn? Or am I thinking of a different company?

Either way, I've got mixed reactions. A payment processing company shouldn't be dictating what legal products you can buy. What if credit card companies did the same?
 
Raven117

Raven117

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,112
fourfourfun said:
I find that the issue here is that there is a disconnect between legal and ethical.

Under the banner of legality, I've noted that people will avert their eyes right up until the point there is a topic that directly affects them, at which point they want action. How is this thing allowed etc.
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For sure there is a disconnect between ethical and legal. Generally, I also think your second sentence is accurate.

That, however, does not mean that the legality should take a back seat. I don't want corporations in the business of acutely making decisions on an ethical basis in a micro sort of way. (I.e, the difference between social responsibility generally, versus targeted instances like this).

I want my businesses to offer a service or product to me for purchase and they maximize returns for their stakeholders. Nothing else behind it. I realize we dont' live in that world.
 
StudioTan

StudioTan

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,836
Falconbox said:
Doesn't PayPal also not allow you to pay for porn? Or am I thinking of a different company?

Either way, I've got mixed reactions. A payment processing company shouldn't be dictating what legal products you can buy. What if credit card companies did the same?
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They do. That's why if you want to join an adult website and pay by credit card you go through companies like CCBill.
 
collige

collige

Member
Oct 31, 2017
12,772
Falconbox said:
Doesn't PayPal also not allow you to pay for porn? Or am I thinking of a different company?

Either way, I've got mixed reactions. A payment processing company shouldn't be dictating what legal products you can buy. What if credit card companies did the same?
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This is about where I'm at. I'd much prefer if financial institutions say out of what people are doing in the same way that ISPs should.
 
Parfait

Parfait

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
580
PlayALLTheGames said:
It's literally their business. They provide the service.

A school shooting sim. What the fuck. I hope nobody works with these assclowns.
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Aye man can't wait for that future where your bank asks you why you're buying groceries for and doesn't let you get them, you may get fat.

The dev is vile but Paypal shouldn't be here to tell me what I can buy with my own money.
 
HBK

HBK

Member
Oct 30, 2017
7,986
As much as I won't cry for them, the idea of private censorship doesn't really sit well with me.

Of course the current case is obvious and no one in their right mind will want to defend such a game, yet I can't help but think how such practice could be used on cases where there would be much more to discuss, such as politically engaged media.
 
Chettlar

Chettlar

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,604
I am on board with this; I just wonder if it was wise. Because now Paypal have opened themselves up to criticism for any kind of activity a loud group of people on social media deem negative. Good? Ehhhhh maybe most of the time. Smart for Paypal? I don't think so...
 
Spartancarver

Spartancarver

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
3,453
Does PayPal allow use of their service to purchase actual guns?
 
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