ai training data preferences auto opted in

[ojewellery]

I recently came across the AI data usage preference setting (https://accountsettings.ebay.co.uk/ai-preferences), which allows eBay to use users’ personal data for AI training and development.

I am deeply concerned by the scope of personal data covered by the section mentioned.  It includes sensitive data such as tax ID numbers, government-issued ID, date of birth, financial and transaction data, and even identification used for seller verification and legal compliance.

I contacted eBay compliance and this was the response: we have notified eBay members that they can object to the processing of their personal data for AI training

I don't remember giving explicit permission to use such sensitive data to train eBay Ai and for it to be shared with third party tools.  I have now opted out of this and I'm sharing as I thought others may also not have received/ picked up on the notification.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

No doubt there was some kind of communication at some point that told us all about it.
And you can guarantee that those words where included in it somewhere, probably very small at the bottom....

I don't remember anything myself either though to be honest.

[ojewellery]

 I'm massive AI advocate.  I can see it being a phenomenal tool for business, efficiencies and potentially helping with some of the labour intensive issues like sorting private seller accounts out.  Letting AI near sensitive personal data - and supplying this to unnamed third party AI too, is bizarre. 

I've been trawling back through eBay announcements and emails, can't find a thing on this (yet).  

[therenewalworkshopltd]

It seems to have come in about 5 months ago.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Just found this and I'm sure that it will be elsewhere as well.  Or at the very least referenced in some way for us to read.  I'm sure that it will be referenced as a change to the Privacy policy.  They never give full details on those, just a link to the policy changes.

https://www.ebayinc.com/company/privacy-center/news/

[fatbobfan]

Good spot, thanks

[ojewellery]

I don't think the intent is malicious, but the US article and US privacy agreement for US business' don't fall under our GDPR rules.  Not yet sourced the UK equiv but as you say, its probably been a line somewhere.

The US article and privacy link imply its broad use of data and the UK AI use, with opt out link, above references section 4 of our data which specifies all the sensitive data.

Asking my regulatory chat in Chat GPT (AI is a big part of my day to day) it suggests:

Purpose limitation is a core principle of GDPR (Article 5(1)(b)). Data collected for one specific legal purpose (like verifying identity or tax compliance) cannot be repurposed for training AI models—especially third-party models—without a separate legal basis or explicit consent.

I think I'm aggrieved to have been opted in to such a broad catch all data share - and kicking myself for missing this.

[moonlight-rhapsody]

I got an email about it on 19 March, but it wasn’t specific.  I put more details in this thread:

Ebay using Personal Data to train AI - Privacy Policy 

[wyntersemporium]

I got the same one and opted out I don’t want my personal details all over the net as in national I number etc 

[darth_baggins]

I opted out a few months ago because a friend on another forum pointed it out. I don't recall an announcement about it.