Skip to main content

Visa shuts down WikiLeaks donations via Iceland’s DataCell

DataCell donation
Image used with permission by copyright holder

For a few hours yesterday Icelandic hosting company DataCell was able to accept donations to WikiLeaks via the Web, and claims it was able to process thousands of donations to WikiLeaks. However, credit card operator Visa shut it down, and as of early morning (Iceland time) the donation system was no longer operating.

WikiLeaks publicized the availability of the payment processing gateway via it’s Twitter account, which has almost a million followers. DataCell indicated it was able to process payments through Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.

Late last year, Visa was subject to a distributed denial-of-service attack from WikiLeaks supporters angry that the company had stopped processing payments for the whistle-blowing Web site—credit card company Mastercard also stopped accepting payments directed to WikiLeaks.

Neither credit card company has been specific about why it has suspended payments to Wikileaks, indicating only that they were investigating the nature of WikiLeaks operation and were suspending services until the “situation” was resolved. WikiLeaks has been criticized—and is the subject of numerous Federal investigations—for disclosing classified U.S. government information and communiques. If WikiLeaks is charged under U.S. antiterrorism laws, credit card operators could potentially be subject to deep investigation or even criminal liability for enabling support to WikiLeaks. Credit card companies and other payment processors routinely reserve the right to deny service to any organization or individual where they believe the funds are being used to promote or facilitate illegal activity, or inform others how to do so.

To enable credit card donations to WikiLeaks, Iceland’s DataCell was able to sign on a new payment acquirer, Valitor, who was willing to process payments to WikiLeaks. However, once discovering Valitor was processing payments on behalf of WikiLeaks, Visa suspended payments. Previously, DataCell had been accepting payments to WikiLeaks via Icelandic provider Korta, and then through Danish provider Teller. However, in late 2010 DataCell claims Mastercard and Visa required Teller terminate its contract. DataCell has also confirmed that its latest provider, Valitor, has terminated its contract with DataCell.

DataCell has indicated it is planning to file a lawsuit in Iceland seeking compensation for the terminated contracts, and also that it plans to file a complaint with the European Commission alleging the credit card companies’ actions violate European competition regulations.

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
This Lenovo gaming laptop with an RTX 4050 is 31% off right now
The Lenovo Slim 5i facing forward.

One of the better gaming laptop deals for the holiday season comes from Lenovo. Today, you can buy the Lenovo Slim 5i Gen 8 gaming laptop for $931 meaning you save $419 off the regular price of $1,350. That's 31% off. Granted, Lenovo's estimated value prices tend to be a little higher than average, so the discount may be slightly smaller if real MSRP is taken into account. Even still, $931 for a gaming laptop with these specs is pretty special. Here’s what else you need to know about it before you buy.

Why you should buy the Lenovo Slim 5i
As one of the best laptop brands, Lenovo has a particular talent for making great gaming laptops. This model has a 13th-generation Intel Core i5 processor along with 16GB of memory and 512GB of SSD storage. It also has an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card which is well paired with its 16-inch WUXGA screen. The screen offers a resolution of 1920 x 1200, 45% NTSC, 300 nits of brightness, and a refresh rate of 144Hz so it’s perfect for this kind of spec.

Read more
This Samsung 32-inch 4K gaming monitor is 30% off for the holidays
The front view of the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 4K curved gaming monitor.

Is your gaming setup still stuck with an old screen? If you've just upgraded with gaming PC deals, then you should maximize your machine's capabilities by investing in a gaming monitor like the 32-inch Samsung Odyssey Neo G7. Making this curved gaming monitor an even better buy is Samsung's $400 discount that brings its price down to $900 from $1,300. It's still not cheap, but it's the display that you need to fully appreciate the graphics of modern video games. You're going to have to hurry though, as stock may run out quickly for the holiday season.

Why you should buy the 32-inch Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 4K curved gaming monitor
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 4K curved gaming monitor delivers exceptional image quality, which is actually something that you'd expect from a screen that's made by one of the best TV brands. With 4K Ultra HD resolution, you'll enjoy lifelike details on the best PC games, and with a refresh rate of up to 165Hz, gameplay will be seamless with smooth movements. The 1000R curvature on the gaming monitor's 32-inch screen mimics the curve of the human eye so it fills your peripheral vision, and its support for AMD's FreeSync Premium Pro will further improve immersion by eliminating screen tearing and stuttering.

Read more
This Asus gaming laptop is discounted from $1,430 to $900
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2023 front view showing display and keyboard deck.

If you're on the hunt for gaming laptop deals, here's one that should catch your interest -- the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 for just $900 from Best Buy, following a $530 discount on its sticker price of $1,430. It's still not as affordable as the cheapest laptop deals, but you should expect to pay a premium for a dependable gaming machine like this one. You'll be getting amazing value for money with the potential savings in this offer, but you need to hurry because there's no telling when the bargain will end.

Why you should buy the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop
If you want a gaming laptop that will be able to run the best PC games at their highest settings, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a stellar option. It's powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS processor, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card, and 16GB of RAM. The gaming laptop also comes with a 512GB SSD, which will provide ample storage space for multiple AAA titles and all of the updates that you need to download for them. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 also comes with Windows 11 Home out of the box, so you can start installing games right after booting it up for the first time.

Read more