Ban payment processors stopping services based on objections to legal content
Government should legislate that payment processing companies may not place stipulations on use of their services regarding sales of otherwise legal content and, if they do so, must face legal penalties and must remunerate platforms and individuals for lost income until service is restored.
Signatures
13,556
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 10,000/10,000 · reached
Debate threshold (100,000) · 13,556/100,000
- 26 FEB 2026Petition closedFinal total: 13,556 signatures
- 06 OCT 2025Government respondedDepartment for Business and TradeGovernment reply
Payment processors are able to choose who they process payments for, subject to any relevant requirements. The Government has no plans to intervene in those commercial decisions.
Read full response - 21 SEPT 202510,000 signatures reachedEligible for a government response
- 26 AUG 2025Petition opened for signatures
Background
There are reports that payment processing companies have recently placed pressure on companies that rely on their services, pressuring them to remove legitimate content.
Because there are a small number of major payment processing companies, we believe this poses an unacceptable threat to small businesses and private individuals, and undermines democratic free speech through censorship from unaccountable companies.