'recently viewed items' privacy concern

[brian_mk]

I use Firefox on a PC.

The browser is configured to clear all cookies on exit and to not store browsing history.

I discovered that even after signing out of eBay and clearing all cookies manually (within Firefox settings), my 'recently viewed' items still appear on the eBay home page.

This happens even if I open a new Firefox private browsing window.

The only way I can find to remove the recently viewed items list is to completely close the browsing window and open a new one.

From a privacy perspective, this seems wrong to me.

Where & how is eBay storing the recently viewed items list?

[jonat_broad]

Could be as innocent as stored in cache - could be a different cookie it is stored under if you were clearing manually.

[brian_mk]

I cleared ALL cookies within the Firefox browser.

Which cache do you mean? Is there some kind of cache in the Firefox browser?

That seems unlikely if opening a  new private browsing window makes no difference.

I will try MS Edge and see if I get a different result.

[brian_mk]

Ok - just tried MS Edge and I don't get the same issue.

It looks like it's Firefox related.

[brian_mk]

I also get 'a new device is using your account' email every time I log into eBay.

I assume this is because my browser deletes cookies on exit.

Someone should sort this out - it is completely useless!

[eburtonlab]

I also get 'a new device is using your account' email every time I log into eBay.

I assume this is because my browser deletes cookies on exit.

eBay uses cookies to keep track if you have signed in to that eBay account using that browser at that IP-address. If you delete your cookies, you are basically forcing eBay to treat you like you have never signed in using that browser before, so that will trigger one of those "new device" messages.

[brian_mk]

As I said - a completely useless misleading email!
It would make more sense to check the IP address.

[jonat_broad]

But they can’t because you’ve deleted the cookie linked to that IP.

you can’t have it both ways.

[jonat_broad]

All browsers store elements in the cache, it helps speed up loading.

it is odd it’s happening when you go in to a new private window but given it’s only in Firefox you might need to ask Firefox as opposed to eBay.

[brian_mk]

They can simply compare the current IP address with the one used for the previous eBay login.

[brian_mk]

If its' not possible to store that on the server, then compare it with the IP address used to first register with eBay.