Financial Discrimination
Japanese Manga Industry Hit by Credit Card Companies' Anti-Porn Restrictions
Japanese manga retailers are reporting pressure from multinational credit card companies — many based in the U.S. and targeted by anti-porn religious conservatives — to censor their content if they wish to maintain their current payment processing arrangements.
FSC Submits Statement for the Record to U.S. Congress About Financial Discrimination
The Free Speech Coalition has submitted a statement for the record to Congress, detailing the ways in which Treasury regulations aimed at preventing financial crime may be unintentionally leading to de-banking adult businesses and workers.
Raising Awareness and Taking Action Against Financial Discrimination
While foes of the adult entertainment industry often focus on “moral” concerns and perpetuate social stigmas, another form of attack can be equally or even more damaging: financial discrimination.
Bias in Banking: How FSC Is Leading the Charge in Fight for Fairness
Ask most people what they remember about the 1997 film “Boogie Nights,” and they’ll probably recall Heather Graham dancing around as Rollergirl, or the infamous pool party, or Mark Wahlberg finally — spoiler alert — unveiling his prosthetic penis.
ACLU Asks FTC to Investigate Mastercard for Discrimination Against Sex Workers, Adult Sites
The American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday filed a formal complaint asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Mastercard for discriminatory practices against sex workers and adult content websites.
FSC Files Financial Discrimination Complaint Against Banking Service Novo
Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has filed a formal complaint against fintech provider Novo, after the banking service provider rejected the organization's business account application without providing any reason for its decision.
FSC Petitions Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Over Discrimination Against Adult Industry, Workers
Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has submitted an official comment to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), asking regulators to address the issue of discriminatory banking practices and their effects on adult businesses and workers.
FSC Report Reveals Widespread Financial Discrimination Against Adult Industry
Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a new report detailing the extent of financial discrimination against the adult industry.
Bloomberg Probes Financial Discrimination Against Adult Performers, Creators
Bloomberg published a report today documenting how adult performers and content creators have become “collateral damage” in an ongoing campaign to make online platforms liable for user-generated content.
Tumblr CEO: 'Credit Card Companies Are Anti-Porn'
The CEO of Automattic, the company that owns Tumblr, said it is impossible for the internet to be “porn-friendly” currently because, among other reasons, “credit card companies are anti-porn.”
Vice's Cryptoland Probes Sex Workers' Use of Blockchain FinTech
Vice News’s Cryptoland aired a report last week on “The Link Between Sex Work And Crypto.”
APAG's Alana Evans Pens Daily Beast Op-Ed on Financial Discrimination
APAG President Alana Evans has penned an opinion piece for the Daily Beast, outlining the details of a recent instance of alleged financial discrimination that Evans says she and other sex workers suffered at the hands of Wells Fargo.
Visa Bows to Media Pressure, Suspends MindGeek's TrafficJunky
In the face of media pressure from billionaire investor Bill Ackman, religiously inspired anti-porn activist Laila Mickelwait and attorney Michael Bowe, who formerly represented Donald Trump and Jerry Falwell Jr., Visa announced today that it will suspend card acceptance for MindGeek’s ad network TrafficJunky until further notice.
OnlyFans CFO Admits Underestimating 'Strength' of Adult Creator Community
OnlyFans’ Chief Financial Officer revealed today that he had "underestimated the strength” of OnlyFans’ adult creator community during the controversy caused by the platform’s 2021 decision, later reversed, to ban adult content.
UK Charity Releases Study on Financial Discrimination Against Sex Workers
National Ugly Mugs, a U.K. charity focused on sex worker rights and outreach, has released a comprehensive research report on financial discrimination against sex workers in the U.K., including adult performers and businesses.
Cherie DeVille Pens Article on Financial Discrimination Against Sex Workers
Cherie DeVille has penned a new essay for the Daily Beast about financial discrimination against sex workers and the controversy generated by Mastercard’s rule changes last month.
Stoya Decries Sex Worker Financial Discrimination
Global business news site Quartz published an interview last week with writer and semi-retired adult star Stoya, about financial discrimination against sex workers.
LGBTQ+ Sex Workers Lead #AcceptanceMatters Campaign Against Banking Discrimination
A group of national and local sex worker collectives, led by LGBTQ+ activists in the community, have launched the #AcceptanceMatters campaign “to demand an immediate pause on Mastercard's new planned adult content policies pending the creation of stakeholder advisory councils, and to protest ongoing discrimination from the banking industry.”
ACLU: End Financial Discrimination Against Sex Workers
As part of this week’s public debate about OnlyFans blaming “banks” for its decision — later reversed — to ban sexual content, the Free Speech Coalition (FSC) highlighted today a June editorial by the ACLU. In it, the civil liberties group urges PayPal and Venmo to discontinue financially discriminatory practices against sex workers “that harm vulnerable communities by shutting people out without due process.”