"Not At All" or "Offensive?" Fortunately, EBAY IS BEGINNING TO OBEY THE LAW

If a fan of Taylor Swift notices something NASTY in the "adult section," the fan can report it, and not wait for Taylor's VeRO rep to do it. Same with celebs who don't even HAVE a VeRO rep. 

The question is, WHERE? To WHAT department? According to Phone Support, eBay does not yet have (and who knows, may NEVER have) a drop-down menu choice for "Adult Photos Posted with NO Consent." Or "Illegal Celebrity Nudes." Or "Revenge Porn Promotion" (such as "My ex-wife Nude." 

THIS item? From a seller who SHOULD be suspended as johnswellstuff12 is and celebarts and vintage_art_paper? 

There are two likely categories in which to "REPORT THIS ITEM." 

One is to ADULT CATEGORY...CAN'T BE LISTED AT ALL. The fine print says this applies to "child pornography, obscene materials, used sex toys, links to sites that contain adult items that aren't allowed on eBay, or digitally delivered adult goods." 

But eBay doesn't consider the above OBSCENE? Humiliating and degrading a woman without her knowledge or consent isn't...OBSCENE? 

OK. The other choice is RESTRICTED...OFFENSIVE..." 

The fine print: "The listing has OFFENSIVE MATERIALS OR CONTENT THAT ISN'T ALLOWED ON EBAY." 

While it doesn't appear that eBay has officially mentioned on its various Terms of Service and Seller Rules pages that CELEBRITY PORN, FANTASY IMAGES or "MY EX-WIFE" items are not allowed, phone support says this junk is definitely NOT allowed. 

Reporting to OFFENSIVE MATERIALS seems to give a better response than to CAN'T BE LISTED AT ALL. 

When someone in Phone Support was asked why there wasn't a more accurate category, the response was, "If there's a problem, you can always call us, and we'll take care of it." 

THANKS.

This is a VAST, VAST IMPROVEMENT and the problem that this website began reporting so long ago, seems FINALLY to be under control. 

One would like to think that the CEO's of eBAY, busy as they are, finally had time to address the issue and take it seriously, because it IS offensive and obscene and unwarranted and uncouth. And...illegal. 

As this site has pointed out, Federal Law requires pornographers to have signed model releases. 

Today, Rob Kardashian has risked jail by posting pictures of his ex, which he did as "revenge porn." California (Ebay's executive offices are in San Jose) has passed a law specifically against victimizing people by posting nude images without consent.

This means that Jennifer Lawrence, for example, could sue Ebay for millions of dollars for allowing sellers to offer her "leaked" images. The "we're just a website" excuse would fail, and it's quite likely a judge would not tolerate the eBay excuse that "we remove items IF the intellectual property owner happens to see a violation AND fills out forms AND send them to us." Especially when sellers often re-list and continue the harassment. 

Many of the most offensive and obnoxious eBay sellers have continued on and on for years, despite warnings and restrictions. Some have gotten fresh ID's just to keep doing the same thing, when it's obvious from the items and location it's the same person. 

Now, it seems to have ENDED. The excuses are OVER. If you read the article on the Kardashian case, you'll note the lines about CALIFORNIA LAW and the new emphasis on a right to privacy and a right to protection from "revenge porn" and profiting from humiliating and degrading someone sexually. 

Note the lines about NON-CONSENSUAL DISTRIBUTION of material SOLD FOR PROFIT TO HUMILIATE, DEGRADE...THE VICTIM.

It is a relief that in this cynical age, where the Internet allows the most innocent of school children to see the worst photos reflecting the most vile and violent behavior, there are still some laws that work, and there are people who embrace these laws. 

Ebay is no monster. No Greedhead Demon. They have always had some common sense rules in place. They just haven't always had enough of them, or been quick to enforce them. Ebay will remove some items that are perfectly legal, simply because it's against their own policy or morality. The Post Office, for example, does not prevent Nazi memorabilia from passing through their system. Various stock photo agencies have no problem selling pictures of minorities being lynched, even if the buyer wants them to gloat and put up on the wall of some basement hate-center. 

So it is, that we have optimism that no seller will be perpetrating the kind of nasty, insensitive and sometimes downright vile and obscene images that you'll find chronicled over the past months below. Any new items or new sellers will be swiftly dealt with when reported to "NOT AT ALL" or "OFFENSIVE MATERIALS." Or perhaps some new category on the drop-down menu. These sellers can then drop down the sewer, where they belong.