PayPal bans prominent UK far-right figure from using its services

PayPal has banned Tommy Robinson, former leader of the far-right, anti-Muslim group English Defence League (EDL), from it's platform.

In a statement sent to Mashable, the online payments company said that it doesn't comment on individual cases, but that they carefully review accounts to make sure that they fit user guidelines.

"We do not allow PayPal services to be used to promote hate, violence, or other forms of intolerance that is discriminatory,” PayPal wrote, adding that “we work hard to achieve the right balance and to ensure that our decisions are values-driven and not political.”

Robinson, who was banned from Twitter in March for reportedly violating Twitter's hateful conduct policy, posted a reaction video to Facebook, where he has 967,000 followers.

"It is simply fascism," Robinson said in response to being blocked from ever using PayPal again.

Robinson (real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) is a former member of the British National Party. He co-funded the controversial far-right group English Defence League in 2009, and was the group's leader up until 2013.

After attempting to form a UK branch of the German far-right populist party Pegida in 2016, Robinson joined the Canadian website Rebel Media the following year.

Robinson went to prison for contempt of court after filming four men outside a court room. He has a history of broadcasting himself on social media outside trials involving Muslim defendants.