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Etsy - Please address member privacy concerns
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Original Post
I have brought these issues up in other related threads, but admin has not responded. They are valid concerns that need to be addressed.
1_ The new registration page
It contains six fields, one radio button, and one check box.
** NOwhere on the page does it distinguish required fields/info from optional ones.
** It does NOT warn that filling in the (real) name fields automatically and immediately places that info on display.
** It does NOT warn that, once entered, the registrant's name cannot be altered or removed *by the user*.
** There is NO preview page to allow the registrant to double check the accuracy of their info prior to completing registration.
It is standard practice to designate required fields with an asterisk/star, and to parenthetically note that others are optional. Etsy does NOT follow this standard.
Registrants DO NOT have to provide their real name during registration! This needs to be *clearly* marked as optional. It appears as if every field on the registration page is required for sign up. This is an egregious error, as the majority of users are Buyers-only. Even though Etsy's Privacy Policy (which presumably people will read before signing up) states that "You have the option to publicly display your full name." it does NOT make it clear that the name *cannot be hidden* if it has already been provided (through registration or via the user's profile). There is NO way to toggle between 'show my real name' or 'hide my real name'. The user does NOT truly control that info, therefore it is NOT truly optional to display it.
This first privacy concern ties directly into the second:
2_ The searchability of Buyers
I do not know of another e-commerce site where registration places its buyers into a searchable database (no warning or notification of this during registration). On Etsy, this is now not only an automatic and immediate result, but is retroactive to all accounts. This opens the door to spamming and stalking of Etsy buyers - and there is no way for them to opt out. Etsy has NOT sought permission of these buyers, NOR has it notified them of this new change.
I'd also like to know if this crosses some legal line. If there are laws to protect people from spam and e-mail fraud, surely there are laws to protect online shoppers from being openly targeted right where they shop.
Etsy, will you be taking steps to address and/or rectify these privacy concerns?
Yes, I know that Etsy is trying to transition into social commerce - but that does NOT give it carte blanche with members' private data. And NOWHERE on the site is its new focus clearly outlined where a first-time visitor or casual/occasional user can be made aware.
Social or not, privacy should be rigorously maintained -not exploited.
Posted at 11:35 am Mar 13, 2011 EDT
Highlighted Responses
We have begun to better address some of these concerns.
You can read the update on changes to the visibility of feedback here: www.etsy.com/teams/7716/announcements/discuss/6818578/page/1/
Posted at 9:14 pm Mar 14, 2011 EDT
Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to update you about this issue. I'm Etsy's COO and earlier today, Rob, Etsy's CEO and I wrote a blog post about changes we have made to the site based on feedback we heard from the community.
I'm attaching a link to the post: www.etsy.com/storque/handmade-life/rethinking-feedback-12472/
The bottom line, if you don't feel like reading it, is that we have defaulted all member purchase feedback to private now.
I hope this helps. Thank you.
Adam
Posted at 6:57 pm Mar 15, 2011 EDT
We understand that we could do a better job of communicating with all of our members. We are actively working on that.
The Etsy Success email was one of the ways to announce a change in Feedback privacy. The other was the Announcement by our COO on the Forums. And, of course, the blog post.
No *privacy policy* changes went unannounced. An upcoming feature that would make you findable by your email address, if someone with your email address chose to import their contacts, was announced via email before it went live, and provided the option to opt out of being findable weeks before the release (that was the Find Your Friends feature).
There were no other substantive changes to Etsy's privacy policy for more than two years.
Thanks for the input, everyone! Please remember that we must keep our input constructive, comments respectful to everyone, and in a tone that is appropriate for our Forums. Please do continue to share your concerns, and we'll do our best to address them!
Thank you, guys!
Posted at 2:42 pm Mar 16, 2011 EDT
Responses
I have concerns about this too.
I've emailed customers that signed up just to buy from me about the changes in the way the site is using their data... it's making me feel uncomfortable about promoting Etsy to new people.
Posted at 11:40 am Mar 13, 2011 EDT
We can remove our own names now. They changed this about a week or two ago. We now have the ability to remove our real names from our profiles if we want them private.
Posted at 11:42 am Mar 13, 2011 EDT
You have actually pointed out quite a few concerns that I hadn't thought of!
Posted at 11:44 am Mar 13, 2011 EDT
I agree, GreenMamba.
(Users can now change/remove their own name under Your Account > Profile.)
Posted at 11:44 am Mar 13, 2011 EDT
Does the registration page have a link to Etsy's privacy policy so people can read it before they sign up? All of these recent changes should be spelled out there (they should be - I'm not necessarily saying they are).
Posted at 11:50 am Mar 13, 2011 EDT
Hmmm. I know someone who registered a couple of weeks ago and they filled in the info - believing it was required - and then had to e-mail support to have it removed. So that change must be very recent.
I thought Etsy was limiting name changes to two over the lifetime of the account, and those had to be facilitated through Etsy support. It would be wonderful if that is now user-controlled.
Has anyone here tested it out?
Posted at 11:51 am Mar 13, 2011 EDT
There is a link, secondarycreations, but it is easily overlooked. It ought to be made more prominent, and there ought to be a tick-box that the user must check before registration goes through, indicating that they have read the TOU and Privacy Policies. That won't guarantee that they actually will read them, but it puts the onus squarely on the user.
Posted at 11:55 am Mar 13, 2011 EDT
The issue for me is that the changes are happening without Etsy contacting members to tell them... that someone who opened an account, but doesn't regularly check the privacy policy for updates (or the forums) won't know that information they gave under one policy is now being used in a different way.
Posted at 11:55 am Mar 13, 2011 EDT
I'm especially concerned for those buyers who have used their real name as a user name. I would like to see an opt-out of search for them and a statement on the registration form that user names are search-able.
Posted at 11:57 am Mar 13, 2011 EDT