its chilly in here (Score 1)

Given the numerous politicians and media figures calling for the assassination and persecution of Julian Assange, these companies are just protecting themselves from the very real threat of insane, shouty lawmakers harming their reputations. This is the very essence of a "Chilling Effect": Threatening JA on TV has little to do with JA himself, and everything to do with scaring the shit out of people so that they don't dare support Wikileaks in any manner - in the press, on the /., or financially.