Visa, MasterCard Taking Action Against VPN Providers

STOCKHOLM — MasterCard and Visa reportedly have now started to take action against virtual private network (VPN) providers in an apparent move to target websites that could be linked to copyright infringement.

Swedish payment provider Payson.se cut access to VPN providers such as iPredator.se and other anonymizing services after being ordered to do so by the credit card companies.

The VPN providers offer encrypted tunnels so that consumers IP address turns into anonymous ones.

Other VPN providers, such as Anonine, Mullvad, VPNTunnel and Privatvpn, among others, also are using Payson processing.

iPredator founder Peter Sunde told TorrentFreak that he is considering legal action to get the service unblocked.

TorrentFreak noted that there’s an unwritten rule that MasterCard and Visa don’t accept file-hosting sites that have an affiliate program. PayPal, meanwhile, has pulled accounts of file-sharing websites this year.

Payson last week delivered email notices as seen on this website that VPN services are no longer allowed to accept Visa and Mastercard payments due to a policy change, which went into effect on Monday.

Clients, such as iPredator's Sunde, were left with a two-day window to find alternatives for its own customers. iPredator charges SEK150, about $25, for three months of access.

Sunde, when reached by XBIZ on Thursday, said MasterCard and Visa are "acting like an illegal cartel."

"I'm always upset when companies in a monopoly decide what other companies are allowed to do or not. MasterCard and Visa are essentially a monopoly on any payments, which are the fundament for any sort of business transaction between customers and companies," Sunde told XBIZ.

"They're acting as an illegal cartel pushing their ethical views on other companies and their customers in other parts of the world, which is violating so many human rights. It's a direct censorship, echoing a bad taste of 1984-ish control. We as a society need to fix this!

"Visa and MasterCard needs to be heavily regulated and they need lots of competition. They're acting worse than most mafia families."

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Michigan Legislators Propose Online Porn Ban

Michigan lawmakers have introduced a bill that would make it illegal to distribute pornography via the internet in the state.

Florida AG Sues Aylo, Segpay Over State AV Law

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed lawsuits against Aylo and Segpay on Monday with the 12th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida for noncompliance with HB3, the state's age verification law.

Colombian Court Sides with Performer Esperanza Goméz Over IG Suspensions

Colombia’s Constitutional Court last week ruled in favor of adult performer Esperanza Gómez in her legal battle against Meta over repeated suspensions of her Instagram account.

Missouri AG Announces Age Verification Rule to Take Effect Nov. 30

Newly appointed Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced Friday that the state's recently approved age verification regulation for adult websites will go into effect on Nov. 30.

Aylo, Woodhull Freedom Foundation to Host 'Online Censorship' Event

Aylo and Woodhull Freedom Foundation will co-host a virtual panel addressing online censorship on Sept. 30.

Severe Sex Films Relaunches Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Severe Sex Films has relaunched its official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Judge Awards Plaintiffs Over $400K in Attorneys Fees in Derek Hay Civil Case

California Superior Court Judge Gail Killefer has awarded former clients of LA Direct Models over $400,000 in attorneys fees and court costs, to be paid by agency founder Derek Hay.

ChickPass Rebrands as 'ChickPass Cinematic Universe'

ChickPass has announced that it has rebranded its network of sites as ChickPass Cinematic Universe.

Brazilian Adult Industry Association ABIPEA Launches

Brazilian Association of the Adult Entertainment Industry and Professionals (ABIPEA) has officially launched its organization.

New Adult Social Media Platform 'Havven' Opens Beta Phase

Havven, a new adult social media platform, has opened its beta phase and will officially launch Oct. 5.

Show More