Depending on where you’re based, you’ll find PayPal’s new data-sharing option under a different name. Remember, you may not see this at all if you’re based in a country that doesn’t allow it.
If you’re in the US, you should head to your profile Settings and tap on Data & privacy. Under Manage shared info, click on Personalized shopping. You should see the option enabled by default. Toggle off the button at the right to opt-out.
If you are in the UK like me, you’ll see something different after you head to your profile Settings and tap on Data & privacy.
Under Manage your privacy settings, here you’ll see an Interest-based marketing tab – click on it. At this point, two options will appear: Interest-based marketing on PayPal and Internet-based marketing on your accounts. You have to tap on each of these and toggle off the button at the right to opt-out. These instructions can also apply if you’re based in the EU.
They also like to just hold onto large chunks of money arbitrarily.
Oh, you’re going to take it up with customer support?
Lololol.
Good thing I deleted my PayPal years ago over a previous TOS change.
What do you use instead?
Crypto. Works great for everything I previously used PayPal for
Just standard credit card processing for purchases and zelle or venmo for transfers.
I got bad news about who owns Venmo.
I assume everyone is owned by someone terrible, but the individual policies and changes are what drives me to swap.
I pay for things on sites processed by PayPal too, I just don’t have an account.
US only iirc
In the EU this kind of automatic opting-in to marketing/data sharing is against the GDPR as it requires explicit consent from user/customer. I’m in the EU and have those settings but they were both toggled off, as expected.
Ireland here, so EU, and both were turned on.
Also based in the EU, and mine were turned on
Can you report that somewhere?
I assume so, but I’m not sure where. I’ll have to Google it later
UK here and they are turned on.
Thanks a lot, Brexit :(
Even if the UK is not in the EU the GDPR still applies there, just the version it got while it was in the EU tho, no revisions
they are turned on
Ooh, violate my privacy, daddy.
Remember, you may not see this at all if you’re based in a country that doesn’t allow it.
OP mentioned this
Thanks, i was thinking id need to go check them later today and that it was kinda illegal. Now i can be rest assured its fiiine
In the app, under Data and Privacy:
Yep, they turned it on by default. It looks like you have until Nov 27th to turn it off before they share your data.
Starting early summer 2025, we’ll be building more personal experiences for you.
Let’s just keep it professional Fintech. Thanks for the post OP.
Confirmed this was enabled in my account. Fuckers. Also check out your search privacy settings in your PayPal account too. Also sharing info by default.
Mine was off, don’t know if it’s because I’m in California, but I toggled it back and forth to check and left it off.
I’m also in California at the moment and it was toggled on. Is it based on current location or the location when you made the account?
Ah so now they’re a poor steward of my data as well as my money?
Yea, paypal is bad news all around
I guess most people don’t know most banks have electronic funds transfer, or virtual credit cards, etc.
So many places online don’t accept any form of payment except PayPal.
Ye, i dont know how it is worldwide but here in west europe paying online with your bank is just like paying with paypal. The only advantages paypal has over my bank is its return policy and it technically not directly linking the purchase with my personal info.
I havent used paypal in a while tbh…
Thanks, disabled. If they want this kind of info then give users a reward for it like 1-2% cashback or coupons. This is just greedy.
They can’t give a reward for a “oh shit we’re running out of hedge fund money, we need to stay solvent , let’s sell out our user’s data”
Time to find another useless account I made as young idiot and delete…
God damn I am so tired of this
Good post. Just turned it off. I appreciate the heads up.
I don’t even see this option on my account. Old Canadian account, but my phone/Paypal app is EU.
Nor I, on my in-Canada account. Desktop access only; I don’t have the Paypal app installed on my phone.
The article’s image shows, under Manage your privacy settings, the options:
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Permissions you’ve given
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Interest-based marketing (which is the option pertinent to this issue)
- Interest-based marketing on PayPal
- Interest-based marketing in your other accounts
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Blocked contacts
But my account’s options are:
-
Permissions you’ve given
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Manage your cookies
- Marketing
- Performance
- Functional
- Essential
-
Blocked contacts
Possibly the Marketing checkbox is the Canadian version of this? I’ve got that checkbox turned off.
Same account options as yours here on mobile, marketing is also off for me.
Thanks for comparing notes!
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Cool, they banned my account some years ago and nothing of value was lost. And I don’t think I even did anything to violate their rules, I only used it to pay rent for a few years and a handful of eBay purchases. My best guess is that someone “hacked” my account (my PW was pretty bad and in multiple breaches), but I tried logging in after years of not using it and couldn’t do anything with it.
But yeah, nothing of value was lost. I haven’t needed PayPal for years and don’t need it now. Just say no and pay directly on whatever site you’re buying at. I’ve bought tons of stuff from eBay and other online sites for years and it has never been an issue.
So screw 'em, just don’t use their service.
Doesn’t seem to show for business accounts FYI
Can confirm it’s a no-show for business accounts, same for me in US