https://www.inc.com/sonya-mann/mailchimp-icos.htmlLast week MailChimp, an email newsletter platform, decided to shut down accounts that promote cryptocurrencies and ICOs. But not completely. In response to complaints from the cryptocurrency community, MailChimp tweeted, "Cryptocurrency-related information isn't necessarily prohibited. It can be sent as long as the sender isn't involved in the production, sale, exchange, storage, or marketing of cryptocurrencies."
Technology analyst Ben Thompson suggested that the decision was motivated by deliverability concerns: MailChimp's success depends on its emails not being kept out of people's inboxes by spam filters. It sounds like he was right. MailChimp wrote in an email to Inc. that "the promotion and exchange of cryptocurrencies is too frequently associated with scams, fraud, phishing, and potentially misleading business practices at this time."
"We made this decision to update our Acceptable Use Policy in order to protect the millions of businesses that use MailChimp for their marketing," the company said. The policy also prohibits other types of businesses that are considered spam-prone and high-risk, from pharmaceuticals to gambling to affiliate marketing.
However, when it comes to cryptocurrencies, there appear to be gaps between policy and implementation. MailChimp indicated that sharing information about cryptocurrencies, as a journalist or news outlet might do, was still allowed. In practice, several newsletters have been hit by the policy change.
Andreas M. Antonopoulos
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@aantonop
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This is the second instance I hear of @mailchimp shutting down accounts related to crypto-currencies. Not ones advertising ICOs, or even exchanges. Just news, books, event announcements.
Ryan Selkis
@twobitidiot
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.@MailChimp I've spent thousands of dollars with you and sent hundreds of subscriber emails on crypto over the past five years.
I'm restarting my Daily Bit Monday. I don't shill ICOs. Don't fuck with me.