Can eBay link your pictures back to you?...... Maybe..

Here We Go Again · #1 01-07-2009

So I have seen this asked MANY times on this forum:
Can eBay track you and link your accounts from your pictures?

The best answer is that it IS possible.
Do they?... Who really knows for sure.

There are many way that they could do it.

Here are a few basic ways you could get linked due to your pictures:

The name of your picture when & if you upload directly to eBay. They can track "Itempicture001.jpg" from 1 account to another.
The web address of your picture if you use self installed links to your pictures. Example: Photobucket
The picture background.
The way the item is placed. Do ALL of your pictures look the same?

Now here is a more in depth way that your pictures can get tracked.
Inside of your picture that you have taken is a set of data called Metadata
What is Metadata?
Metadata for a photograph would typically include the date and time at which it was taken and details of the camera settings (such as focal length, aperture, exposure).

Now there is a NEW addition to the fun loving metadata.
It is called "Geospatial Metadata"
Have you guessed what this is yet?
What is Geospatial Metadata?
This is the direct storing of the GPS location of where the picture was take into the metadata.
So now not only is the camera details embedded into the picture but ALSO the GPS coordinates.
Sorta the same way the police can track you through your GPS transmitter in your cell phone.

This technology is now in digital cameras.
So eBay can tell the EXACT location a picture was taken if they wanted to.

Some new software now uses this information also.
Today Apple made public the new iPhoto for Macintosh.
They take this GPS info and group pictures by location.
Then they join that information with Google Maps.
Then you can see a map of the location where the picture was taken.
Right down to the address.

Think that eBay does not use this information......
I have no proof that that they do... But why would they NOT use it.

I have been stripping the metadata out of my pictures for over a year now.
You might want to think about doing the same.
Please do not ask me how to do it for you.
I live my life in front of a Macintosh not a PC.

SO if you have a pretty new camera then you might want to find out if it is a GPS enabled camera.
If it is.... Learn how to strip the metadata from your pictures.....
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Jonas · #2 01-09-2009

In 4chan's robot9000 forum, they run a hash of all pictures uploading to prevent duplicates. Changing one character in the metadata throws off the hash. Mods used to ban for that exploit and now they don't care.

If one technique eBay does is a hash of an image, they'd likely combine it with other information as the hash would likely have duplicates of unrelated stuff.

Auctiva is the best picture hosting service for eBay because they change the internal filename and resize it before eBay sees it.

upsidedown · #3 01-09-2009

Just modify it a little using photoshop or paint- works like a charm

Here We Go Again · #4 01-09-2009

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
So you are telling me that Photoshop will change ALL the metadata when you re-save a picture?

Exeneva · #5 01-09-2009

Or just use external linking, like from ImageShack.

Here We Go Again · #6 01-10-2009

^^^^^^^^
If you use Imageshack or Photo bucket you will need a separate account there for each ebay account due to the hyperlink being traceable back to a old eBay account.
That is another way to get linked to a old account.

yaw1800 · #7 01-10-2009

i have different photobucket accounts for my accounts but just a question.. what about changing your username on the photobucket?? wouldnt that change the hyperlink?

Burst · #8 01-10-2009

To answer your question, Photoshop does not strip any exif data or meta data. It adds on to what was previously there. It adds what version of photoshop you used and possibly some other areas.

I made a post about this same thing, not the GPS info, but EXIF tags and eBay linking them.

Ive been using exif tag remover for months now. Its a great application that strips everything. It also saves about 20kb per image. If you use small images for icons or anything else in an auction, you'd be amazed at how much of the file is just information.

Here We Go Again · #9 01-10-2009

^^^^^^^^^
Yea... I did not think Photoshop removed the hidden data information.

So Upsidedown was wrong as far as you know...

Quote:

Originally Posted by upsidedown

Just modify it a little using photoshop or paint- works like a charm

Am I reading correctly Orion?

mylo · #10 01-10-2009

can you just retake the pictures? i like to think that the simplest solution is the best

Here We Go Again · #11 01-10-2009

^^^^^^^^^^
The simplest solution is to strip all the meta data out of your pictures BEFORE you ever load them to where ever you load them for publication on eBay.

Jonas · #12 01-16-2009

I once knew a seller who got suspended and then returned on another account. They had the exact same layout, prices, and photobucket account. When someone reported them, they were only suspended for one day, then came back. They claim they somehow conned eBay into thinking they were different people. Then the first account came back and now both sell. eBay was dumb and none the wiser.

Burst · #13 01-16-2009

Yeah youre reading correctly. Get the program "exif reader" and take a sample picture with your digital camera. Read the exif data. Then open the image in photoshop and save it as a new file name. Then read the exif data in that. Theres more data in the new image file.

Here We Go Again · #14 01-17-2009

^^^^^^^^^^^
That I will believe in a heartbeat.
Thank you for confirming with I thought...

NO ID · #15 01-21-2009

so i logged into auctiva with my suspended ip but i didnt click on my listings - will this link me?

SumofallPeers · #16 02-20-2009

HWGA,

Best results with GC or ExifTool? I've tried iPhoto, iVMP, Macromedia and Adobe and as previously mentioned they only add to the data.

iPhoto also does not change the crucial data.

Any hard data on Auctiva uploads losing the md?

You are also spot on on about retention. In another post I've detailed how Fotolia images 3x copied, transferred, down/up loaded still retain theis metadata sans stripping.

Here We Go Again · #17 02-20-2009

^^^^^^^^^
The program "Graphics Convertor" is the best program I have found to rip the metadata out of my .jpg images.
Before any one asks...... It is a Macintosh program.
It come per-installed on, as far as I know, every Macintosh sold.
Just look in your "Applications" folder for it.

As for Auctiva, here is what I just found.
I just checked a "Image A" that is on my desktop and looked at its metadata.
It has all the metadata that you would think it would.
This same exact picture has already been uploaded to Auctiva for use at my office.
I do NOT rip the metadata from these pictures because it is my real work account.
(I run the eBay business for the real brick & mortar business I work for)
I went to eBay, found the item in question.
clicked on the image in the item page of eBay.
The picture opened in the Auctiva page as it should.
I then "Stole" my own picture.
I then checked my "Stolen Image A"
It had NO metadata what so ever.

So with that 5 minute experiment I would go with YES Auctiva does in fact remove the metadata.

Burst · #18 02-20-2009

Exif Tag Remover is my choice for windows exif stripping applications. All data is removed. Attempting to read any exif data results in an error. Its GUI is fast and to the point.

This new type of data is also called GPS, GeoTag, and Geospatial

maximumrock · #19 02-21-2009

If you really wanna remove the tags and info from photos......do the following..

Open up picture in photoshop, paint shop pro, or whatever.....

using a selection tool of some sort and either select the photo (there are tons of ways of doing this) if u need help PM ME...

once the image is in your clip board.. go to FILE > NEW and open a new image a nd paste that clipboard data image not the new image and go to FILE > SAVE AS and give it a new file name diff from before........that will do the trick..

aking · #20 02-21-2009

what are some other good programs to rip this metadata stuff?

jesseinkaron · #21 02-22-2009

If you use auctiva will they not change your photos data before it gets to ebay ?

Burst · #22 02-22-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by maximumrock

If you really wanna remove the tags and info from photos......do the following..

Open up picture in photoshop, paint shop pro, or whatever.....

using a selection tool of some sort and either select the photo (there are tons of ways of doing this) if u need help PM ME...

once the image is in your clip board.. go to FILE > NEW and open a new image a nd paste that clipboard data image not the new image and go to FILE > SAVE AS and give it a new file name diff from before........that will do the trick..

That does not rip the entire exif data string! We covered this early in this post.