Mailchimp bans crypto content creators without warning
Email marketing platform Mailchimp appears to have suspended its services to crypto content creators. Platforms related to crypto news, content or related services started having problems logging into accounts, followed by service interruption messages that started appearing this week.
Crypto-linked accounts such as the Edge wallet, a crypto holding service provider, and Messari, a crypto research company, were among some of those affected.
Early this morning, Sam Richards at the Ethereum Foundation tweeted that the Ethereum Foundation Ecosystem Support Program is also facing suspension.
Add @Ethereum Foundation’s @EF_ESP to the list of customers @Mailchimp have robust.
Anyone have good recommendations for email subscription services with solid API integrations? Or someone who doesn’t pull the plug on paying customers without notice or reason? https://t.co/Cjg2kkqwoT
— samrichards.eth (@samonchain) 12 August 2022
Cory Klippsten of Swan Private, a Bitcoin investment advisory firm for companies and high net worth individuals, also tweeted about the incident. Klippensten called on other marketing agencies in the industry to “step up” in light of this incident and others.
After Hubspot, Klaviyo, Twilio, and Mailchimp have all been busted by their crypto clients, it’s time for the entire marketing communications/CRM software industry to step up their security a LOT.
And yes, we have taken further measures. See @skwp the thread above.
— Cory Klippsten (@coryklippsten) 12 August 2022
Mailchimp, the service previously used for the Cointelegraph newsletter, actually also sent Cointelegraph a service interruption notice this past Monday.
Although Mailchimp has responded in the time since Cointelegraph’s inquiry, no direct response to our questions has been provided. It later became clear that accounts were disabled or “temporarily suspended” due to service outages. According to the Mailchimp website, the clause falls under its “acceptable use” guidelines, which outline prohibited content.
This section states that “cryptocurrencies, virtual currencies and all digital assets related to an initial coin offering” are prohibited due to “higher than average abuse complaints.” The website’s guidelines claim to have been updated last May.
Last year, the email marketing provider was acquired by financial giant Intuit.
Instances of service disruptions or suspensions resurfaced this week, though this isn’t the first time Mailchimp has gone after crypto-related content. This type of behavior can be traced back to 2018.
It was in 2018 when Facebook also banned any cryptocurrency-related advertising on its website due to violations of the regulatory guidelines.
Related: Haters unite at the first conference of crypto-skeptics
At the time, however, the company made a public announcement that “cryptocurrency-related information is not necessarily prohibited” and can be distributed as long as the sender is not involved in the “production, sale, exchange, storage or marketing of cryptocurrencies.” There has yet to be an official statement from Mailchimp regarding the latest development.
What was released on Wednesday, however, was a message from former Mailchimp CEO and co-founder Ben Chestnut. He announced that he is formally stepping down from the role after 21 years. In his place, Mailchimp will be led by Rania Succar, formerly responsible for the QuickBooks Money team, also part of Intuit.
