Transaction Denied - by Rainey Reitman (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Exposes how companies like Visa, Chase, PayPal, Bank of America, and Mastercard use their power to silence dissenting voices and hurt democracy through the practice of financial censorship

Civil liberties activist Rainey Reitman introduces readers to the concept of "financial censorship"--a form of privatized censorship where banks and payment intermediaries act as censors in ways the government couldn't do directly without violating the First Amendment. Reitman examines financial companies and the role they have played in policing speech, as well as the laws and corporate policies that have enabled this form of censorship.

Weaving together over a decade of research with interviews and narratives from those personally impacted by financial censorship, Reitman reveals how financial exclusion has become a tool to pressure marginalized voices into silence.

From the executive director of a voting rights nonprofit to a teacher of Iranian poetry, to adult content creators and the cannabis community, Reitman uplifts the voices of those who have been targeted by these powerful institutions. She uses their stories as a launching point to explore larger issues about who should have the power to censor in a democratic society.

Insightful and fresh, Transaction Denied exposes this new and alarming form of censorship and offers a path forward by advocating for communities affected by financial exclusion and calling for more transparency of our financial systems.

Review Quotes

"Through powerful examples and a thorough review of the law, Reitman gives a critical but balanced assessment of the underappreciated power that financial institutions wield in democratic participation."
--Jonathan Zittrain, professor of law, computer science, and public policy, Harvard University; cofounder, Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society

"A powerful case that financial censorship and surveillance are among the most foundational human rights issues of our time."
--Evan Greer, director of Fight for the Future

"An indispensable guide to a secret and powerful form of censorship in the United States. Rainey Reitman will enlighten you, then show you how to fight back."
--Annalee Newitz, author of Stories Are Weapons

"Both a storyteller and an advocate, Rainey exposes hidden systems of power that shape our choices, our speech, and, ultimately, our society."
--Cindy Cohn, executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation

"Repression doesn't always look like handcuffs and raids. In Transaction Denied, Rainey Reitman shows how big finance has become a gatekeeper of speech, wielding enormous power to punish activists and journalists without most people ever realizing it. Reitman exposes financial censorship as a hidden weapon of political repression--and a front line we can't afford to ignore."
--Will Potter, author of Green Is the New Red

About the Author

Rainey Reitman is a writer and civil liberties advocate who has been at the forefront of today's most urgent battles for digital rights. She has led viral advocacy campaigns, spoken internationally on civil liberties, and appeared widely on radio, television, and in print. Her writing explores the intersection of technology and human rights. Reitman is the cofounder and president of the board of directors of the Freedom of the Press Foundation, a nonprofit defending journalism.