Visa shuts down WikiLeaks donations via DataCell again

Visa has confirmed that it has halted payments to WikiLeaks again, a day after the web site's Icelandic hosting service DataCell reported receiving funds.

DataCell had set up an alternative proxy service that was able to accept donations to WikiLeaks using Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Visa has now confirmed that this was an error, and has blocked transfers to the whistleblowing organisation.

"An acquirer briefly accepted payments on a merchant site linked to WikiLeaks," Visa told V3.co.uk in a statement.

"As soon as this came to our attention, action was taken with the suspension of Visa payment acceptance to the site remaining in place."

DataCell was able to open an account with payments processing company Valitor (VISA Iceland) and accept payments. The company reports that the payments via Visa have now stopped, and payments via the other cards has also stopped.

"The reason they give is that orders have been given by the international card companies to close down the gateway and that processing donations to WikiLeaks is a violation of general terms between the two parties," DataCell said in a blog post.

"DataCell has protested this termination and will make a complaint to the Icelandic Financial Authority claiming that Valitor's licence to operate as a payment processing company will be cancelled."

The company said that it will also proceed with an official complaint to the European Commission next week over the blockade, which was started seven months ago after WikiLeaks released US diplomatic cables.

The credit card companies suspended payments, saying that they were concerned over possible illegal actions by the site. Visa commissioned a third-party study on the report which cleared WikiLeaks, but this was ignored in favour of an internal investigation.