eBay charged with violating Patriot Act

A U.S. Attorney in eastern Missouri charged eBay Inc.’s PayPal online payment service with violating the Patriot Act, which was signed into law after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The San Jose auction giant said it was served notice March 28, and charged with allowing online gamblers to pay for gambling debts with PayPal. Online gambling is illegal in the United States.The Patriot Act outlaws money transactions for known illegal activities.

eBay says its service was acting in good faith and did not violate federal law.