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

[R.A. Hettinga]

<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/03/10/cryptome_paypal/print.html>


The Register

Cryptome: PayPal a 'liar, cheat and a thug'
Account still restricted

By Andrew Orlowski (andrew.orlowski at theregister.co.uk)
Posted in ID, 10th March 2010 16:10 GMT

"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.

Cryptome's PayPal account

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 (http://www.cryptome.org) 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been withdrawn.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.