Smashwords censoring content

[stormcloude]

At Paypal's demand, Smashwords has begun more stringently censoring their erotic content to exclude incest and pseudo-incest, rape and bestiality. They already prohibit underage.

Source: http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2012/02/25/smashwords-succumbs-to-censorship/

I don't buy anything at Smashwords, although I have downloaded some of their freebies. Does this affect anyone's buying/reading?

Comments

[amalthia]

I also don't buy from Smashwords, but I am disquieted by this new round of censorship. :(

[stormcloude]

Considering my favorite flavor of fanfic is Sam/Dean and I've bought some "incest" m/m books, I think I'm going to boycott Smashwords on principle-- not that they'll really notice. *^_^*

[firecat]

You probably know that the same Paypal behavior is why Dreamwidth doesn't accept payment via Paypal. I wonder if the powers that be at Smashwords should talk to the people at DW who negotiated that minefield.

[stormcloude]

Yaoicon had to stop using paypal too. I wonder what "adult" sellers on ebay use.

[tameiki]

In the past I've bought quite a few ebooks from Smashwords. That changes as of today. Even though the content that provoked this action by Paypal isn't something I'd buy anyway, for them to start dictating what another business accepts or does not accept makes me rethink my account with Paypal.

Just last week I had a major issue with Paypal and received some of the worst excuse for customer service, since then I've been looking at alternative payment methods from my favorite online stores anyway. This just makes me work at it a little harder :(

ETA: stormcloude, do you mind if I boost the signal a bit on this post?

[stormcloude]

Boost away. If I were Smashwords I'd find another way to accept payment too. Although some of the bpal perfume decanters tried Google's pay system and ran into all kinds of problems using that too.

I try to avoid paypal as much as I can-- unfortunately you have to use it for almost everything you buy on ebay. :(

[tameiki]

And there's the rub. All too often Paypal is the preferred (sometimes "only") payment method you can use with online retailers. Especially on Ebay, its parent company.

If there were another company that was trustworthy, had great customer service and didn't get into the censorship business, I would love it if they put Paypal on its ear!

Thanks. I'll get to working on the post now. There are several friends who use Smashwords to distribute their books. Even if they don't write that type of content, I think they'll be very interested to know about this :) *squishes*

[stormcloude]

According to the other article linked, it affects allromance too, and I do buy from them. :(

[tameiki]

Yeah, I saw that. And, like you, I buy from them, too. I see emails going out to all my favorite online stores that use Paypal to let them know I'm not happy with their choice. Not that they'll probably give a rat's because I'm just one person... *sighs*

[runpunkrun]

Ugh, Paypal. Here's another article on the subject: PayPal cracks down on erotica e-book sales, from TeleRead.

[stormcloude]

Thanks for the link!

Paypal just needs one viable competitor and I bet people would defect in droves.

[trialia]

JSYK, it also includes rape fantasy in the censorship, not only actual rape (via naamah_darling who is an author there).

[stormcloude]

Sounds like they might as well just ban all erotica. o.0

[kathryn_scannell]

The prohibition list also includes "non-consensual bondage". If interpreted broadly (and what else do you dare to do?) that would ban nearly any storyline that starts off with the hero/heroine being abducted by pirates, gorgeous space aliens, etc. Also I think it would make nearly any historical setting involves slavery that isn't role-playing off limits. That would outlaw quite a lot of stuff published in the mainstream by the big NYC paper publishers too.

[stormcloude]

Wow, that's pretty extreme! I think I'll be sending them a letter.