Cryptome: PayPal a 'liar, cheat and a thug'

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"PayPal is a fucking liar, a cheat and a thug," says Cryptome operator John Young. The eBay-owned payment service closed the Cryptome account last week, with over $5,000 of donations intended for Young in limbo.

Last night Anuj Nayar, PayPal's global director of communications, told us by email that Cryptome's account had been restored, but evidence provided by Young contradicts this. Screenshots of the Cryptome PayPal account show Young cannot withdraw money, but can only return donations to donors to the whistleblower website.

"I can confirm that all funds associated with Cryptome have been released," said Nayar. Screenshots clearly show the Cryptome account unable to transfer money to another account. Young has refunded donors from his own pocket.

With reasoning worthy of a Kafka plot, PayPal told Cryptome it couldn't provide a reason for shutting down the account. "In accordance with our Privacy Policy, we cannot share any specific information regarding this Account with you," Young was told.

Young has asked that PayPal provide "any information requested/subpoened of PayPal about me or my website from government, law enforcement, commercial or private parties".

He told us: "Cryptome refunded about $5300 on March 5, 2010 without action by PayPal while the account was frozen. No funds have been withdrawn. The account was, and is still, frozen except for the capability of making refunds which I chose to do to get the wad out of PayPal's hands where PayPal could use them for its own purposes contrary to the purposes of the donors."

Cryptome has recently published law enforcement liaison guides from companies including Microsoft, Facebook and PayPal. ®

Cryptome: PayPal a 'liar, cheat and a thug' ? The Register

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mai cunosc pe cineva care a pierdut +500$ la ei...pe motiv de 'securitate'

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PayPal has finally made good on its pledge to restore Cryptome's account many hours after the firm's head of global communications told Register readers it had already done so.

PayPal told operator John Young the account had been suspended because of its stated policy:

Cryptome welcomes documents for publication that are prohibited by governments worldwide, in particular material on freedom of expression, privacy, cryptology, dual-use technologies, national security, intelligence, and secret governance -- open, secret and classified documents -- but not limited to those. Documents are removed from this site only by order served directly by a US court having jurisdiction. No court order has ever been served; any order served will be published here -- or elsewhere if gagged by order. Bluffs will be published if comical but otherwise ignored.

Cryptome predates Wikileaks by a decade. PayPal told Young the restrictions would continue, with Cryptome unable to withdraw funds or close the account.

Earlier PayPal's head of global communications had implied in an email to El Reg that Cryptome breached its policy that an account not be used "to encourage, promote, facilitate or instruct" others to engage in illegal activity. The email also stated the account had been restored. It hadn't.

Eventually, some nine hours after contacting Cryptome, PayPal did restore the account, "after review".

"Likely another PayPal ploy, hoping the FU will just go away, without apology, without admission of stupidity, declaring everything was done as it should have been, according to the arrogant rules of Microsoft, et al," wrote Young.

There's more on the Cryptome site, including correspondence. ®

source: theregister.co.uk

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PayPal's chief of legal affairs has apologised to Cryptome after the eBay-owned payment service confiscated its funds without explanation. John Muller, ultimately responsible for setting PayPal's guidelines, says the payment company made a mistake. He adds that he was a fan and former donor to Cryptome.

Operator John Young says it's not enough. Insult was added to injury when a PR contacted The Register last week, falsely claiming the account had been restored, but more importantly alleging unspecified illegal activity.

Writes Young:

PayPal's actions have caused damage to my reputation and Cryptome's, loss of funds and impugnment of the intentions of hundreds of supporting donors.

A meaningful PayPal response for its unsubstantiated attack on me, my web site and donors would address these serious damages and provide an amelioration commensurate with their gravity.

More at Cryptome, here. ®

source : theregister.co.uk