PayPal suspends donation account linked to Ku Klux Klan

LOS ANGELES - A PayPal account linked to the Ku Klux Klan was suspended by the fundraising company after a screenshot of the page gained traction on Twitter.

The Loyal White Knights of the KKK promoted the account on its website, according to the BBC. The group sought funds to pay for stamps on newsletters and send other materials to its supporters.

A screenshot of that page was shared by a user on Twitter, the BBC reported. It also caught the attention of a group called Sleeping Giants, an online-based activist group focused on combating sexism and bigotry in businesses.

Six days after the initial tweet, PayPal suspended the account.

In a statement, a representative for the company said the decision was due to “ongoing diligence.”

“All decisions are independently driven by PayPal, and our action was taken after an extensive review. When an individual violates PayPal’s longstanding Acceptable Use Policy, the company will take action as deemed appropriate,” the statement said. “We take these matters seriously, and do not allow PayPal services to be used to promote hate, violence, or other forms of intolerance.”

The email address connected to the account was a Gmail address, according to the BBC, and has prompted some to question whether Google will take any action.

A Google rep told the BBC that the company was looking into it.