Hear how Visa, Chase, Paypal, Bank of America, and more use their power as a tool to pressure dissenting marginalized voices into silenceAbout this Event
Join us at Mrs. Dalloway's Bookstore on Tuesday, April 7 when Bay Area author Rainey Reitman comes to the store to present her new book Transaction Denied: Big Finance's Power to Punish Speech. Rainey will be joined in conversation by Cyrus Farivar and will sign copies of her book after the presentation.
to preorder a copy of Transaction Denied.
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.
RAINEY REITMAN is a writer and a civil liberties activist working on the frontlines of some of our generation’s most crucial Internet rights battles. She has led viral campaigns; appeared frequently in radio, print, and television; given speeches around the world on civil liberties; and written on the intersection of technology and human rights. Reitman cofounded and currently serves as president of the Board of Directors of the Freedom of the Press Foundation, a nonprofit defending journalism.
CYRUS FARIVAR is an award-winning author, editor, and investigative tech journalist with 20+ years of experience. He is also the author of multiple books, including Habeas Data (2018) and The Internet of Elsewhere (2011). In October 2004, while in graduate school, he wrote The New York Times' very first story about podcasting. Cyrus has written for Forbes, NBC News, Ars Technica, NPR, The Economist, Wired, and many others.
THIS EVENT is free but registration is requested. Registration ends at 6:00 pm on April 7.
BECAUSE SEATING is limited, please register only if you plan to attend.
DUE TO SPACE limitations, we may not be able to accommodate every person at an event, so early registration is encouraged.
WALK-INS will be accommodated only if space allows.
WE ASK that attendees arrive between 6:45 and 7:00 PM for the event.
PLEASE leave your non-support companion animals at home.
OUR shared restrooms are not accessible after 6:30 PM, please plan accordingly.
Event Venue
Mrs Dalloway's, 2904 College Avenue, Berkeley, United States
USD 0.00
