Financial censorship

Financial censorship is a type of censorship whereby the subject's financial well-being or access to financial services is limited in an attempt to curtail speech. This can be achieved by payment processors and credit card companies blocking payments to those who engage in, sell, or host content, services, or speech that is to be censored. Even stronger forms of censorship such as financial institutions freezing or closing down accounts are known as debanking. Activists, journalists, and scholars have described the impact as extralegally inhibiting free speech, particularly in online spaces where physical cash is not an option which creates a chilling effect as individuals and platforms self-censor speech in fear of having their finances negatively impacted by such actions.

In the 2020s, many incidents of removal of sexual content from online platforms and marketplaces occurred. These contents removals have been generally attributed to the policies of payment processors and credit card companies regarding what content and services are permitted to be bought and sold using their services. In particular, these policies often restrict or outright forbid the sale of sexual content and services, which has led to numerous closures of accounts of individuals who provide such services, as well as takedowns by various online platforms seeking to comply with their policies.

Proponents of these takedowns have argued that online adult content promotes sexual objectification, particularly of women, and risks harming children, particularly by way of the minimally regulated nature of these platforms risking the enabling of child sexual exploitation. However, others, including creators of adult content and civil rights groups, have argued that the payment processor's policies have stifled legitimate business in the porn and sex work industries and created a chilling effect on sexual expression online.