eBay

valueaddedresource · ‎03-20-2025

Haven't seen too much talk about it around here, so in case you missed it - eBay dropped an update to their User Privacy Policy that goes into effect April 21.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/member-behaviour-policies/user-privacy-notice-privacy-policy?id=4...

It's worth reading the whole thing - especially the full sections about Blockchain and AI, but here's the summary eBay provided in their email:

Key updates:
• More info about using our services through third-party applications, as well as details on blockchain technology and controllership.
• A new section on AI, which covers our Responsible AI approach, how we use AI-powered tools and products—and when and how personal data may be used to help develop AI models.
• Extra details about the personal data we collect, why it’s used and how it’s shared within the eBay Inc. corporate family, and with other businesses, and service providers.

And the really important part - the link to manage your settings to opt out if you do not wish to have your data used for AI training and development:

https://accountsettings.ebay.com/ai-preferences

That page says it's intended for users in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom and Switzerland (likely due to regulatory requirements in those areas) but US users are able to access it and use the toggle as well - though I'm still waiting for explicit confirmation from eBay that if a US user toggles it off, those preferences will be respected even though they are not in those named areas.

dhbookds · ‎03-20-2025

Thanks for posting.........

roadking5555 · ‎03-20-2025

Thank you for the heads up.

adamcartwright · ‎03-20-2025

@valueaddedresource

Thank you!

slippinjimmy · ‎03-20-2025

@valueaddedresource

I read over the privacy update earlier today. I didn't notice the opt-out.......

I am wondering why I would want to opt out, eBay's AI needs all the teaching it can get! If the majority of users opt out how will it ever improve?

It's somewhat akin to the start of Item Specifics when users would vow never to use them or fill them with garbage and then complain that their sales were down.

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep

valueaddedresource · ‎03-20-2025

@slippinjimmy - just food for thought...eBay has employees who get paid $100-200K+/yr plus stock options and benefits to train and develop their AI, so I can't say I'd begrudge anyone who isn't particularly inclined to do it for them for free.

I can't disagree with you about the current state of eBay's AI, but wasn't aware it was any user's obligation to "improve" it for them. Also, understandably, a lot of privacy conscious people aren't too hip on the idea of their personal data and site usage information being tracked/collected and used for that purpose.

For that reason, I personally don't like that eBay appears to have auto-opted everyone into having it turned on, requiring those who wish not to participate to have to find the link to turn it off while still potentially having at least some of their data used during whatever time they may have been unaware the setting even existed.

In my opinion, if eBay really did take their "responsible AI commitment" seriously, the default should have been to have it turned off, with users having to take proactive intentional action to sign up to "teach" eBay's AI - maybe even with a little incentive added in for those willing to be early adopters/guinea pigs, like FVF discounts or something.

If you have no problem with it, you're free to leave the setting turned on, my post providing the link was simply to make people aware and make it as easy as possible to opt out for those who wish to do so.

slippinjimmy · ‎03-20-2025

Thank you for an excellent reply. I work on the assumption that everything and anything I do online is being tracked. I think that if I was 50 years younger I might have greater concerns about my privacy and certainly under the current conditions in the world the issue has much more significance.

Perhaps I should revisit Orwell's 1984, when I first read it in the early 70's it seemed like fiction that could not actually happen. I was quite clearly wrong about that!

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep

lo-6045 · ‎03-20-2025

another company buying in to SLOP. i already opted out, and i have no idea why this is even being implemented. im already having an issue finding legit, used stuff in the sea of made in hong kong or china stuff that's half the quality of the used stuff.

go-bad-chicken · ‎03-20-2025

@slippinjimmy wrote:
@valueaddedresource

I read over the privacy update earlier today.

I am wondering why I would want to opt out, eBay's AI needs all the teaching it can get! If the majority of users opt out how will it ever improve?

From eBay's

Al development and training page

https://accountsettings.ebay.com/ai-preferences

"......control the use of their personal data to train, test, validate, and align our own Al models as well as third-party Al models for the purposes outlined in our User Privacy Notice. This may include the personal data set out in Section 4 of our User Privacy Notice."

"We may combine personal data from our users with data from external sources (e.g. from publicly available sources)."

I'm not really keen on eBay selling, renting, or giving my data to unknown 3rd parties to train their AIs for who knows what purposes. Furthermore I don't really care for them attempting to combine my eBay profile with my various other publicly available profiles.

So yes I do hope that this "Opt Out" is honored here in the U.S..

But that's just me. Your mileage may vary.

ekmadonna · ‎03-20-2025

It would be great if you could drop a reminder when we can actually opt out of this. I personally want no part of it. Is there a solid date when we will see this on our account pages and opt out? April 21?

valueaddedresource · ‎03-21-2025

@ekmadonna the privacy policy page says the update goes into effect April 21, but you can go to that link for AI preferences I posted and switch the toggle to "off" now.

fbusoni · ‎03-21-2025

@valueaddedresource wrote:

In my opinion, if eBay really did take their "responsible AI commitment" seriously, the default should have been to have it turned off.

@valueaddedresource

Well said and thank you for bringing this to our attention.

eBay is in many ways the very embodiment of the worst characteristics of life on the internet -- entitlement, subterfuge, no consideration for the feelings or concerns of others.

If anyone needed proof that eBay regards sellers as inanimate objects, this is it.

The fact that eBay delivers my payments to my bank account, upon request and without fail, is truly its saving grace.

Meantime, sellers may want to review section 4 of the privacy agreement, in light of this latest information about AI.

eBay seller since 1999. This is a posting ID.

dhbookds · ‎03-21-2025

I imagine every internet entity is (and probably has been) collecting personal info....... considering I can look at something (off ebay) and find it advertised to me in a later search.... In today's world privacy doesn't seem to be as important as it was in earlier years, considering what people post about themselves on social media.

meme6253 · ‎03-21-2025

I hope we can opt out in the U.S.A., I do not want to participate in that mess!, Grant it AI needs to learn & perfect itself but not with me involved.