Visa and Mastercard are blocking Americans from buying Japanese art, anime, manga, and video games. These policies are unfair, harm small businesses, and cut off cultural exchange with Japan. We call on President Trump, the FTC, OFAC, and state attorneys general to stop these corporations from acting as censors. Sign now to defend artistic freedom, fair trade, and our right to choose what we buy.

 
Protect Our Right to Access Global Art and Entertainment — End Discriminatory Practices by Payment Processors Against Japanese Art Imports

Americans across this nation deeply value the beautiful and diverse art that Japan creates. From traditional works to anime, manga, and video games, these creations inspire, teach, and entertain. They are a vital part of modern cultural exchange and an important component of global commerce.

Yet today, Visa and Mastercard are blocking Americans from purchasing these works directly from Japanese creators. They cite supposed “moral indecency” concerns, but this claim is arbitrary: comparable works produced in the United States face no such restrictions. The result is a discriminatory barrier that undermines fair trade and consumer choice.

This conduct does more than inconvenience buyers. It injures commerce by cutting off lawful transactions between willing customers and legitimate businesses. It weakens cultural exchange by closing doors to art and ideas Americans want to experience. And it alienates both customers and vendors—American consumers who feel censored, and Japanese creators who lose access to the U.S. market.

Visa and Mastercard should not act as gatekeepers deciding what art Americans may or may not buy. Their role is simple: process payments. By stepping outside that role, they interfere with free commerce, suppress culture, and act as private arbiters of morality.

This is not just about money. It is about freedom of choice, cultural connection, and respect for artistic expression. No private corporation should decide what is “acceptable” for millions of Americans. These practices injure our marketplace, disrupt lawful international trade, and raise serious issues of antitrust, consumer protection, and regulatory oversight.

Groups like the Gaming Brethren, along with countless other American consumers, call on regulators and elected leaders to restore fairness in this marketplace. Americans must be free to decide what we purchase, not have that decision made for us by two corporations acting as de facto censors.

 
We are calling on regulators and leaders to act now:

President Donald J. Trump — Invoke OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) trade authority to stop Visa and Mastercard from using financial restrictions to block lawful cultural exchange.

Andrew N. Ferguson, Chairman of the FTC — Ensure Visa and Mastercard cannot act as unlawful duopsonists and anti-consumer cartels.

U.S. Department of the Treasury (OFAC) — Enforce oversight to prevent financial censorship.

Congressional Commerce and Judiciary Committees — Hold hearings to examine how payment processors restrict trade and culture.

Rob Bonta, California Attorney General — Use California’s broad consumer protection and antitrust authority to challenge Visa and Mastercard’s discriminatory restrictions and lead a multistate coalition.

Letitia James, New York Attorney General — Employ New York’s financial oversight and antitrust powers to investigate, litigate, and hold Visa and Mastercard accountable for blocking lawful commerce.
 
What We Ask

We want the right to access Japanese art and media. We want Visa and Mastercard reminded of their true job—facilitating transactions, not deciding morality. And we want U.S. regulators to ensure these corporations stop blocking lawful international commerce.

Please join us. Sign this petition to demand action from President Trump, the FTC, OFAC, state attorneys general, and other leaders. Together we can protect artistic freedom, fair trade, and consumer choice.