90 votes

Paypal opted you into sharing data without your knowledge

34 comments

  1. [11]
    fuzzy
    Link
    Here's a link straight to the setting Thank you for the heads up - I just toggled it off. Those bastards.
    • Exemplary

    Here's a link straight to the setting

    Thank you for the heads up - I just toggled it off. Those bastards.

    62 votes
    1. [4]
      Protected
      Link Parent
      Looks like I don't have it. Is this US only?

      Looks like I don't have it. Is this US only?

      15 votes
      1. CptBluebear
        Link Parent
        Linking private information between accounts or companies without permission is not allowed in the EU. Same reason Threads wasn't able to launch early on, because it used your Facebook account...

        Linking private information between accounts or companies without permission is not allowed in the EU. Same reason Threads wasn't able to launch early on, because it used your Facebook account automatically.

        Massive EU W. Repeatedly so.

        34 votes
      2. elcuello
        Link Parent
        I’m in EU and it was turned on for me. Additionally there’s two settings to turn off and when you go back from the first one it skips back to the main menu so you easily forget the second one and...

        I’m in EU and it was turned on for me. Additionally there’s two settings to turn off and when you go back from the first one it skips back to the main menu so you easily forget the second one and that pisses me off even more.

        9 votes
      3. sparksbet
        Link Parent
        For me it didn't always link straight to the setting, but the setting was there under "interest-based marketing"

        For me it didn't always link straight to the setting, but the setting was there under "interest-based marketing"

        5 votes
    2. kfwyre
      Link Parent
      I appreciate the direct link! Made it super easy to turn off. I’m pissed that I had to even do that in the first place, but your small kindness is making that frustration ever so slightly easier....

      I appreciate the direct link! Made it super easy to turn off.

      I’m pissed that I had to even do that in the first place, but your small kindness is making that frustration ever so slightly easier. Thanks.

      10 votes
    3. [2]
      winterstillness
      Link Parent
      Thank you. I'll echo "those bastards". I'd like to delete my account, but I enjoy leveraging "pay in 4" for budgeting reasons.

      Thank you. I'll echo "those bastards". I'd like to delete my account, but I enjoy leveraging "pay in 4" for budgeting reasons.

      6 votes
      1. RheingoldRiver
        Link Parent
        for me it's somewhat of a sunk cost that paypal has my info, and I prefer not to submit my CC directly to every single place I buy from. Getting it masked by paypal makes me feel a bit better...

        for me it's somewhat of a sunk cost that paypal has my info, and I prefer not to submit my CC directly to every single place I buy from. Getting it masked by paypal makes me feel a bit better about avoiding fraud

        7 votes
    4. [2]
      Akir
      Link Parent
      Hmm. Mine is already off. I wonder if I have seen this already and already acted? But this is something that happened recently, non?

      Hmm. Mine is already off. I wonder if I have seen this already and already acted? But this is something that happened recently, non?

      6 votes
      1. Weldawadyathink
        Link Parent
        Mine was already off too. And I guarantee I haven’t touched my PayPal account in years.

        Mine was already off too. And I guarantee I haven’t touched my PayPal account in years.

        2 votes
    5. Asinine
      Link Parent
      I got an email about it yesterday and turned it off. Was this due to backlash, or did others' just go to spam or something?

      I got an email about it yesterday and turned it off. Was this due to backlash, or did others' just go to spam or something?

      4 votes
  2. [15]
    SteeeveTheSteve
    Link
    We really need to just make "personalized ads" illegal. I have yet to meet someone who likes them, they're nothing but a bane to society and collecting info they have no right to collect. It's...

    We really need to just make "personalized ads" illegal. I have yet to meet someone who likes them, they're nothing but a bane to society and collecting info they have no right to collect.

    It's like having a stalker that wants to sell you things and they're not above trickery to pitch a sale. They'll also sell your info to others. They go so far as to convince your utility companies to sell them data and if it's required they'll slip permission for it into your agreement. To top it all off, they give an occasional speech about how everyone loves their services and what makes that truly horrifying is you can't tell if they believe themselves or not.

    19 votes
    1. [4]
      Pavouk106
      Link Parent
      I like personalised ads. Well, I only like those that shows me lingerie from local eshop where I buy nice underwear for my wife... But it is personalised/targeted perfectly! This is also the only...

      I like personalised ads. Well, I only like those that shows me lingerie from local eshop where I buy nice underwear for my wife... But it is personalised/targeted perfectly!

      This is also the only one personalised ad I like.

      Just to add - yes, the lingerie is shown on beutiful women.

      6 votes
      1. [3]
        SteeeveTheSteve
        Link Parent
        You got a nice life hack here, turned your ads into aesthetically pleasing artwork. :D This might become interest for people who's personalized ads are linked to their work computer. lol

        You got a nice life hack here, turned your ads into aesthetically pleasing artwork. :D

        This might become interest for people who's personalized ads are linked to their work computer. lol

        2 votes
        1. [2]
          Pavouk106
          Link Parent
          The thing is I have this on my work computer where I don't care about cookies etc. while on my own PC I have generic non-personalised ads :-D

          The thing is I have this on my work computer where I don't care about cookies etc. while on my own PC I have generic non-personalised ads :-D

          1. SteeeveTheSteve
            Link Parent
            🤣 That's awesome. At least you have a good excuse, I'd just have awkward questions to answer.

            🤣 That's awesome. At least you have a good excuse, I'd just have awkward questions to answer.

    2. [5]
      Akir
      Link Parent
      I've seen many people who say they like personalized ads, but I have yet to actually believe them.

      I've seen many people who say they like personalized ads, but I have yet to actually believe them.

      2 votes
      1. [4]
        Minori
        Link Parent
        I can imagine a bloke that'd rather see ads for football merch than fall skirts. They're probably thinking in a context where everyone always sees ads, so they might as well be more personally...

        I can imagine a bloke that'd rather see ads for football merch than fall skirts. They're probably thinking in a context where everyone always sees ads, so they might as well be more personally interesting.

        8 votes
        1. SteeeveTheSteve
          Link Parent
          Ah, I can see that view of it, but it's too creepy for me. Especially when something picks up your in person conversation with another person and starts showing ads for it. It's being ok with your...

          Ah, I can see that view of it, but it's too creepy for me. Especially when something picks up your in person conversation with another person and starts showing ads for it.

          It's being ok with your stalker, because you can't get rid of em and they're mostly harmless.

          3 votes
        2. [2]
          redwall_hp
          Link Parent
          Funny: I'm a guy and I'd rather see ads for literally anything other than sportsball. I'm equally unlikely to buy seasonal women's apparel or anything sportsball related, but at least the former...

          Funny: I'm a guy and I'd rather see ads for literally anything other than sportsball. I'm equally unlikely to buy seasonal women's apparel or anything sportsball related, but at least the former doesn't offend my sensibilities.

          None of the marketers with their fancy targeting can seem to figure out that they can get me with ads for anime stuff, software synthesizers and other music production tools, Japanese video games, or computer gear that isn't aimed at the lowest common denominator.

          Instead, it's all fluff that I really don't desire, or general home goods I just walk into a store and buy when I actually need them, deprioritizing brands that have annoyed me with ads.

          I'm tempted to conclude that, despite the gross invasion of privacy, the whole adtech industry is smoke and mirrors conning businesses out of money. But I assume Jedi mind tricks work on some people.

          2 votes
          1. Minori
            Link Parent
            Adtech is one of the few industries I refuse to ever work in, but my understanding of the steelman argument is getting the right products to the right people requires some kind of publicization....

            Adtech is one of the few industries I refuse to ever work in, but my understanding of the steelman argument is getting the right products to the right people requires some kind of publicization. Though I personally use adblock on everything, and I pay for subscriptions/services when I can.

    3. [5]
      Weldawadyathink
      Link Parent
      It depends on how targeted you mean. Sponsor spots (not YouTube’s ads) on YouTube videos are personalized advertising, but they can only be personalized to the channel and video level, not to the...

      It depends on how targeted you mean. Sponsor spots (not YouTube’s ads) on YouTube videos are personalized advertising, but they can only be personalized to the channel and video level, not to the specific person. Those will happily count as personalized in whatever definition you can find. I really like those sponsors depending on the video and channel. For example, if LTT keeps a long term sponsor, I use that to influence my buying decisions. I try to no longer buy anker because of the issues that caused LTT to no longer accept them as a sponsor. If they did not sponsor LTT, I might not even have known about the issue. I don’t want that type of advertising to be outlawed.

      2 votes
      1. [2]
        ThrowdoBaggins
        Link Parent
        Hmm, maybe “targeted ads” might be closer? I don’t want any algorithm to identify me, and make choices about what ads to put in front of me, based on who I am and what I like. However, if any...

        Hmm, maybe “targeted ads” might be closer?

        I don’t want any algorithm to identify me, and make choices about what ads to put in front of me, based on who I am and what I like. However, if any other person viewing the same YouTube video anonymously had the same chance to see the same ad, that’s fine.

        I think it’s okay to link ads for beer brands to be displayed alongside someone’s perusal through beer options. I don’t think it’s okay to show me beer because I’m a beer drinker, while I’m currently looking at a webpage about the latest royal family gossip or whatever completely unrelated thing I’m doing.

        Target the content, don’t target me independent of the webpage I’m looking at.

        2 votes
        1. Weldawadyathink
          Link Parent
          I think the specific issue is cross site tracking. I would be 100% down to outlaw that, especially if we can fix the loopholes that Facebook and Google tracking widgets would try to use to bypass...

          I think the specific issue is cross site tracking. I would be 100% down to outlaw that, especially if we can fix the loopholes that Facebook and Google tracking widgets would try to use to bypass those laws.

          I also want to point out that “algorithm” isn’t the scary thing that people seem to think it is. Certain algorithms can be scary for sure, but the general concept of algorithms isn’t. An algorithm is any specific set of steps that can be followed by a computer or human. The entire concept of algorithms were developed formally decades before computers were created, and were used informally for most of human history. Long division is an algorithm. Baking directions are algorithms. In the twitter/mastodon communities, people often complain about algorithmic timelines and prefer chronological timelines. They don’t realize that a chronological timeline is an algorithm. It’s just a simpler algorithm.

          On this specific subject, showing you beer ads while you are reading an article about beer is an algorithm. Showing me ugreen ads while I watch LTT videos is an algorithm.

          1 vote
      2. [2]
        SteeeveTheSteve
        Link Parent
        Personalized ads are as targeted as it gets. Personalized means they're tailored to you specifically, using information gathered on you. Browsing habits, texts, verbal conversations, emails, gps...

        Personalized ads are as targeted as it gets. Personalized means they're tailored to you specifically, using information gathered on you. Browsing habits, texts, verbal conversations, emails, gps data, etc... lots of info is gathered to make those personalized ads to the point they may know what you like better than you do, especially as they get AI to pick out patterns and compare you to others with similar interests.

        A channel's sponsor requires no personal data, it's an educated guess that the audience will be interested in their product or service. I would guess that's what ads would turn to if personalizing ads was not an option. It's like a sign at a marina for a boat repair shop, it's just putting the sign where their targeted audience will most likely see it.

        2 votes
        1. ThrowdoBaggins
          Link Parent
          I think it’s worth illustrating how powerful regular association can be even before you get to AI powered stuff — Facebook’s “like this page” recommendations were able to accidentally out gay and...

          to the point they may know what you like better than you do, especially as they get AI to pick out patterns and compare you to others with similar interests.

          I think it’s worth illustrating how powerful regular association can be even before you get to AI powered stuff — Facebook’s “like this page” recommendations were able to accidentally out gay and bi men before they even knew for themselves, more than a decade ago. Facebook pretty quickly changed things up behind the scenes to stop that because it resulted in some conservative religious relationships being torn apart, and there were worries it would get people fired or worse. And this is many years before AI picking up on the most subtle clues in behaviour.

          2 votes
  3. riQQ
    Link

    PayPal quietly opted users into sharing data with third parties for “personalized shopping experiences,” according to multiple complaints on social media and 404 Media’s own tests.

    As of writing, PayPal opts users into sharing their data by default, without their knowledge—unless they navigate to the personalized shopping settings on their own. On that page, a toggle is set to “sharing on,” agreeing to the statement “Let us share products, offers, and rewards you might like with participating stores.” 404 Media tested the process with two PayPal accounts, including a historical one and one created over the last few days. In both cases, the accounts were opted in by default.

    13 votes
  4. [7]
    BeanBurrito
    Link
    Saw a thing about this yesterday on Mastodon and opted out. My credit card lets me make disposable credit card aliases that I can lock or delete. I should probably delete my PayPal account.

    Saw a thing about this yesterday on Mastodon and opted out.

    My credit card lets me make disposable credit card aliases that I can lock or delete. I should probably delete my PayPal account.

    11 votes
    1. [6]
      Papavk
      Link Parent
      What a useful feature! What credit card is that?

      What a useful feature! What credit card is that?

      1 vote
      1. [2]
        trim
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        I don't know about BeanBurrito, but in the UK I can create virtual cards like this with Starling Bank, each linked to a distinct pot of money (which they call a Space), and they can't be...

        I don't know about BeanBurrito, but in the UK I can create virtual cards like this with Starling Bank, each linked to a distinct pot of money (which they call a Space), and they can't be overdrawn, things just get declined.

        I find it useful, and I use them when I need to spend on slightly sketchier things like ongoing card subscriptions (e.g. Midjourney)

        1 vote
        1. Papavk
          Link Parent
          What a nice feature! Especially for stuff where you might get automatically signed up for an indefinite subscription.

          What a nice feature! Especially for stuff where you might get automatically signed up for an indefinite subscription.

      2. [3]
        BeanBurrito
        Link Parent
        It is in the U.S.. CapitalOne Mastercard. https://www.capitalone.com/

        It is in the U.S.. CapitalOne Mastercard.

        https://www.capitalone.com/

        1 vote
        1. [2]
          Papavk
          Link Parent
          Nice, I have a card with them but didn't realize this might be a feature. I'll be checking that out. Thanks for the tip.

          Nice, I have a card with them but didn't realize this might be a feature. I'll be checking that out. Thanks for the tip.

          1 vote
          1. BeanBurrito
            Link Parent
            I love it. I haven't had a bogus charge in years.

            I love it. I haven't had a bogus charge in years.

            1 vote