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Privacy International, a UK-based privacy rights group, has filed a formal complaint with the UK Information Commissioner alleging that both Amazon.co.uk and eBay.co.uk engage in policies that contravene the Data Protection Act. Specifically, the complaint alleges that both Amazon and eBay share personal and financial information of account holders with third parties without specific customer assent or even knowledge. Further, neither Amazon nor eBay allow customers to delete personal information or close accounts.
In its own investigation of Amazon.co.uk, Privacy International workers opened a customer account and then attempted to close it. Nowhere on the Amazon.co.uk website did Privacy International workers find information on how to delete personal information or close an account. Privacy International concluded such action is simply not possible.
The best that can be said for eBay's account deletion policy is that it is not as bad as Amazon's. While it is theoretically possible to delete information or even close an eBay account, the information on how to do so is buried so deeply in the help section, and requires so many convoluted steps that the transaction creates an undue burden on consumers, the majority of whom will be unable to follow the complex procedures to the end.
Should the UK Information Commissioner find Privacy International's complaint to have merit, Amazon and eBay could face heavy fines in the UK, as well as similar complaints in many other countries in which the companies operate. Privacy International is already investigating similar complaints of privacy violations in Asia and North America. While castigating Amazon and eBay, Privacy International applauded the privacy protection policies of YouTube and MySpace.
[pic credit: imageafter]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-04-2006 @ 7:23PM
MIKE WEBSTER said...
SOUNDS LIKE ERHART IS ANOTHER FRUSTRATED PERSON,WHO CAME OUT FROM UNDERNEATH HER BROOM TO BASH EBAY.
YOU WONDER WHERE THE HELL THEY KEEP COMING FROM.
THEY WRITE IN TINY DARK CORNERS,HOPING SOMEONE WILL READ THEM,AS THEY HAVE NO FRIENDS AND DIE ALONE.
9-04-2006 @ 7:24PM
MIKE WEBSTER said...
SOUNDS LIKE ERHART IS ANOTHER FRUSTRATED PERSON,WHO CAME OUT FROM UNDERNEATH HER BROOM TO BASH EBAY.
YOU WONDER WHERE THE HELL THEY KEEP COMING FROM.
THEY WRITE IN TINY DARK CORNERS,HOPING SOMEONE WILL READ THEM,AS THEY HAVE NO FRIENDS AND DIE ALONE.
9-04-2006 @ 10:46PM
Graham said...
YOU WONDER WHERE THE HELL THEY KEEP COMING FROM
If you don't realise where they come from by now then I suggest you keep your hard earned cash in your pocket!
Graham
9-05-2006 @ 3:54AM
Jimmy Tarbuck said...
lol Graham!
It does seem Ebay are not doing themselves any favours at the moment. They seem more concerned with boosting their traffic rather than protecting their customers. Another aspect that they fail to control is the abundance of fake Paypal 'phishing' emails that exist. Why do Paypal hold the record for this?
Has anyone seen this video?
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=8639852684273716185
There's no doubt Ebay need to be 'cleaned up'!
9-05-2006 @ 5:15AM
Brian Snale said...
Ebay is just so out of control as to be unbelievable, its subsidary PayPal has some serious security issues as well.
I saw reported a few days ago that someone added a new email address to their PayPal account, and within minutes had received an attempted phish with a very authentic looking email. This would seem to indicate an inside job, and you have to wonder if eBay/PayPal applies the same criteria to checking new staff as it does to new users... ie NONE!
9-05-2006 @ 6:05AM
Graham said...
Thanks for the video link Jimmy. As they say, a picture paints a thousand words!
Interesting that the new kids on the block, YouTube and MySpace, have come out favourably on their data security policies.
This blog made me think to read eBays privacy policy and the question begs... What privacy? Take a look:
http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/privacy-appendix.html
Graham
9-05-2006 @ 6:57AM
DD said...
Victoria,
Good, objective reporting.
We need more folk like yourself who are not deterred by big company payoffs nor angry investors.
Just the facts, please...just the facts.
Keep up the good work : )