PayPal blocks school shooting simulator dev from making sales online
"We work to ensure that our services are not used to accept payments for activities that promote violence," says payment platform
Acid Software, the developer of a school shooting simulator recently removed from Steam, will now struggle to sell its products online thanks to a move by PayPal.
The Active Shooter developer said this week that purchases of its highly controversial game were "temporarily disabled" while it tried to resolve issues with PayPal.
The online payment platform confirmed it has closed the account, resulting in a flurry of outrage from the condemned developer on both Twitter and online message boards, toting hashtags such as "QuitCensoringUs" and "WeWillBeBack".
"PayPal has a longstanding, well-defined and consistently enforced Acceptable Use Policy, and regardless of the individual or organisation in question, we work to ensure that our services are not used to accept payments for activities that promote violence," PayPal said in a statement.
Acid Software spokesperson Ata Berdyev told the Associated Press the future of the game is now in doubt.
"Seems like everyone in US trying to censor us, whilst not explaining what exactly we are violating," he said.
Valve removed the game from Steam last month, along with the developer's entire catalogue. A Valve spokesperson told Kotaku at the time the developer was a "troll" with "a history of customer abuse, publishing copyrighted material, and user review manipulation".