Michael Knowles (and many like him) wants to say both of these things at once: 1. They’re private companies and can do what they want. (usually said about social media) 2. But when it comes to money, it’s censorship, it’s un-American, it’s a threat to democracy. (cue outrage when Stripe or X restricts payouts) You don’t get both. If Private means private then yes, Stripe, PayPal, Twitter, YouTube, GoFundMe, all of them, can cut you off, blacklist you, demonetize you, or ghost you. No explanation needed. If you accept that premise for Big Tech, you’re stuck with it for Big Finance. A lack of Digital Bill of Rights is the biggest concern in our country.