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MasterCard and Visa Start Banning VPN Providers

Posted by Soulskill on from the one-step-forward,-two-steps-back dept.

Nyder sends this quote from TorrentFreak: "Swedish payment service provider Payson received an email stating that VPN services are no longer allowed to accept Visa and MasterCard payments due to a recent policy change. ... The new policy went into effect on Monday, leaving customers with a two-day window to find a solution. While the email remains vague about why this drastic decision was taken, in a telephone call Payson confirmed that it was complying with an urgent requirement from Visa and MasterCard to stop accepting payments for VPN services. 'It means that U.S. companies are forcing non-American companies not to allow people to protest their privacy and be anonymous, and thus the NSA can spy even more.'" Oddly, this comes alongside news that MasterCard has backed down on its financial blockade against WikiLeaks.

17 of 353 comments (clear)

  1. And thus it begins by hawkinspeter · · Score: 5, Interesting

    So, it has come to this.

    --
    You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
    1. Re:And thus it begins by DworkinLV · · Score: 5, Insightful

      And if you had read the linked articles, you would have seen the prior occurrence with wikileaks. Having both Visa & Mastercard not accept either the wikileaks donations or VPN payments at the same time seams suspicious. Both organizations are seperate and have seperate charging agreements. So both at once leads one to believe that pressure was applied by an outside source. As both instances have occured around leaking of US government "secrets" (Don't get me started as if they are still secrets when they are plastered over the press) it becomes obvious who benefits from the blockage. The U.S. Government

      --
      Browsing without an adblocker is like fucking without a condom - Mal-2
  2. Lucky me. by Danyel · · Score: 5, Funny

    I provide my VPN to myself for free. ;)

  3. You know a monopoly is present by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    When it's impossible to boycot the bad guy...

    1. Re:You know a monopoly is present by canadiannomad · · Score: 5, Interesting

      What I really dislike about this is how it is a group of companies acting as a pack to instill their own laws/moral judgement on the world at large. Why do they get to decide which companies I deal with or not?

      --
      Hmm, the humour and sarcasm seem to have been be lost on you.
  4. Oh whatever by Tibe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    > 'It means that U.S. companies are forcing non-American companies not to allow people to protest their privacy and be anonymous, and thus the NSA can spy even more.'

    That's rather bias. It also means that people are no longer able to circumvent geo locks on media content, avoiding the current media distribution models and laws. Some people are protecting their privacy, but I would guess the vast majority just want to watch Game of Thrones.

    1. Re:Oh whatever by Qzukk · · Score: 5, Funny

      I would guess the vast majority just want to watch Game of Thrones.

      This evil must be stopped at all costs to freedom and liberty!

      --
      If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
    2. Re:Oh whatever by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That people pay VPN services to bypass geo locks means they have money to pay *something* to watch that content. Media companies should take note and offer more reasonable pricing for content globally. All they are accomplishing by getting Visa and Mastercard to collude with them is forcing people to use even less legal methods to get content.

      "The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it." - John Gilmore

  5. US considered hostile by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Don't use US services.

    1. Re:US considered hostile by BrokenHalo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      While on the face of it, "US considered hostile" might be taken as flamebait, it would seem at the moment to be an accurate characterisation.

      A nation (or to be fair, its administration) that continually bullies its own people and citizens of other nations cannot expect to be treated as anything but a pariah. Trouble is, I don't see any other governments having the courage to stand up to the US.

  6. This is why... by DiSKiLLeR · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is why we need a payment system that does NOT rely on PayPal, Visa, or MasterCard.

    And I guess this is why the US Govt. is trying to shut down bitcoin so hard....

    --
    You can tell how powerful someone is by the magnitude of the crime they can commit and be able to get away with.
  7. Two thoughts. by pla · · Score: 5, Insightful

    1) Why does this not count as illegal collusion within an industry group? That they decided to announce it as a unified decision provides de facto proof that they conspired to deprive their customers of choice. If my itty bitty company made a similar joint announcement with one of our biggest competitors in the region, half a dozen state AGs would have us in court before the newsprint dried on the initial announcement.

    2) I make use of these usurious parasites' services because it lets me conveniently move my money from place to place without worrying about the security of either cash or my real bank accounts, and I can essentially do all my spending with one tidy itemized monthly bill. If I can no longer use Visa to purchase the goods and services I want, I no longer have a reason to use Visa at all.

    And a bonus thought, for good measure - For those talking about the NSA or Bitcoin - This involves regional protection of content, a favor to Hollywood, nothing more and nothing less. At least direct your vitriol in the right direction, folks.

  8. Re:Good For Them by Luckyo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It just looks like the gloves came off with the whole Snowden affair. They now know they can get away with pretty much anything and the propaganda machine will keep up appearances well enough for the masses to accept it, and as a result the two-faced "protecting the freedom" with all its problems like VPNs can be finally finished.

  9. Very suspicious by SoftwareArtist · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Does anyone else find this story very suspicious? I mean, VPN services are completely mainstream, widely used by business people. I bet that even MasterCard and Visa use them. And suddenly we're told there's a conspiracy to ban them. And the poster attributes this to the NSA wanting to spy on us. All based on completely anecdotal reports from one company that you've probably never heard of before.

    I suspect the summary will turn out to be a complete misrepresentation, and the truth will be something far less evil and far less interesting than this post makes it out to be.

    --
    "I'm too busy to research this and form an educated opinion, but I do have time to tell everyone my uninformed opinion."
  10. Request, and suggestion... by Anachragnome · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I personally do not use a VPN service anymore, but have a request for anyone that does. I also request you post results here, in this thread, to share any response you may receive.

    Please call your current VPN provider and ask them how to go about paying them for their services without using PayPal, Visa, Mastercard or AmEx. Just see what advice they give to you in order for you to continue using their services (if any).

    I am curious as to how the providers themselves are responding to their customers. They may have already come up with a viable alternative payment method that has been kept out of the media.

    1. Re:Request, and suggestion... by somenickname · · Score: 5, Informative

      You can find a good rundown of privacy and payment options for a lot of popular VPN services here: http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-that-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2013-edition-130302/

      Basically, if you so choose, you can use a VPN service very anonymously.

  11. Re:Boycott VISA MASTERCARD. Start using BITCOIN. by theskipper · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I withdrew $500 in cash from my bank, went to Walmart and had a Moneygram sent to Bitinstant. Within an hour it was in my Mt Gox account, minus all the fixed and transaction fees (a somewhat hefty $25). Certainly inconvenient but the process is pretty straightforward once you understand how it works. YMMV.

    Of course this doesn't consider what's involved in getting USD out of Mt. Gox which is ideally just the inverse. But I planned on spending the bitcoins so it wasn't a consideration.