I’ve been using eBay for years. With a 132 million active users, chances are that you are an eBay user, as well. Recently, while adjusting some of the payment preferences in my account, I stumbled upon a surprising setting buried deep in my account settings. It’s a toggle that provides “consent” for eBay to use your personal data to train its artificial intelligence (AI) models. Did you know it was there? Me neither!
This was likely part of a recent update to their privacy policy—one of those lengthy legal documents that most people don’t have the time or expertise to read. This setting was likely activated without your awareness or informed consent. Is it a choice if you don’t know it’s there? Of course not.
As an attorney focused on protecting individual rights, I feel it’s my duty to bring this to your attention. This setting, which more than likely is enabled by default on your account as you read this, allows eBay to use your personal information for AI development and training. This can include your purchase history, search queries, and even your communications.
AI models are only as effective (or biased) as the data they’re trained on. When you allow eBay to use your personal data, you’re contributing to the development of their AI. While eBay claims this is for purposes like improving user experience and detecting fraud, the lack of transparency is a major concern. We don’t know exactly what data is being used, how it’s being used, or to what extent it will affect us in the future.
How to Reclaim Your Data
The good news is that you can disable this setting. eBay has a specific page where you can manage these preferences. The page is titled “Al development and training preferences” and you find it at the following URL:
https://accountsettings.ebay.com/ai-preferences
I strongly encourage all of you to take a moment and visit this link. It’s a simple step, but it’s a powerful way to reclaim control over your personal data. By turning off this setting, you are sending a clear message to large corporations that user privacy should not be a hidden setting, but a fundamental right that must be respected.
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