PayPal Changes Its Digital Book Policy

You spoke, PayPal listened, and now erotic authors and booksellers appear likely to continue to enjoy the freedom to publish their works without threat of censorship.

After hearing from the ACLU of California and its members and other free expression suporters, PayPal has revised its plans to cut off booksellers who sell certain types of erotic content, stating that it will only request that booksellers who use its services take down books that contain images of child pornography or "obscene" content that are not protected by the First Amendment rather than prohibiting the sale of broad categories of legitimate content. In addition, if and when it does request that a book be removed, the company will give booksellers an opportunity to challenge any such request.

We are happy to see PayPal's change in direction and hear the company express its desire to promote freedom of expression where possible. Intermediaries like PayPal can have enormous influence on the health of the Internet as a forum for robust communication about a wide range of topics that may be controversial to some, ranging from erotic fiction to religious texts and everything in between. Thank you for lending your voices and telling PayPal to support the free exchange of ideas that has led to the Internet's success and its own.

Chris Conley is the Technology and Civil Liberties Fellow with the ACLU of Northern California.