Earlier this week, we reported that Kickstarter updated its rules regarding projects that was an attack on mature/adult material on the site. It followed previous actions of censorship and attacks by groups that have gotten games removed from Steam and Itch. While not confirmed at the time, the payment processor Stripe was at the center of Kickstarter’s policy change as Stripe’s policies have been a known cause of similar situations on other platforms. Now, Kickstarter has retracted its rules update for mature content and puts the blame squarely on Stripe.

In their update, Kickstarter states their intention was to “give creators more clarity upfront so they could make informed decisions about their projects before launch” and they admit they botched the new guidelines.

But, this is the first real confirmation that Stripe is the issue, making it clearer that actions need to be focused on Stripe to get them to clarify their own policies regarding adult/mature content.

The updates to the rules were primarily driven by requirements from our payments processor, Stripe. Stripe operates under its own legal and compliance requirements separate from Kickstarter’s own rules. And even Stripe’s rules are dictated by a larger system shaped by financial institutions that govern how money moves globally. Under this system, many platforms – including other crowdfunding and creator monetization platforms – struggle with how to create space for mature content while getting the creators of that work paid without friction.

Kickstarter states they’ve seen an increase in campaigns have their funding suspended by Stripe mid-funding and that Kickstarter has advocated on the behalf of creators with Stripe to get the decisions reversed.

Kickstarter has now reverted back to their previous guidelines which prohibited pornography and illegal content.

Kickstarter is committed to providing a space for creative expression. We do not allow pornographic or illegal content.

Projects are also subject to our partner’s Rules and Restrictions, including Stripe’s Prohibited and Restricted Business List. Our partners reserve the right to restrict projects that violate their Rules even if it is allowable under Kickstarter’s policies.

Kickstarter makes it clear that Stripe is still the issue:

It means that at any point, whether that’s before launch, while a campaign is live, or after it ends, while a creator is still collecting pledges made via Pledge Over Time or Late Pledges, Stripe can still suspend a campaign that Kickstarter has approved. That’s the reality of operating within a payment system we don’t fully control.

Kickstarter has linked to Stripe’s guidelines within their rules and put together a guide to help creators understand the issue and common triggers that might get Stripe to suspend payments.

The issue of credit card companies and payment processors censoring art/entertainment has become an issue over recent years. “Anti-porn” crusaders have targeted them to get the payment processing for things they don’t like pulled. It’s a popular tactic for anti-LGBT bigots in an attempt to de-platform what they don’t like.