Automated decisions can affect your account access, transactions, and financial opportunities without human review, and your personal data is being used to train AI systems that may serve PayPal's broader commercial interests.
Consumer impact
PayPal collects an unusually broad range of personal data including biometric identifiers, precise geolocation, inferred income and behavioral profiles, and sensitive financial information, and shares this data with a wide ecosystem of third parties including merchants, credit reporting agencies, debt collectors, and advertisers. Non-account holders who simply transact through PayPal-powered checkouts are also subject to data collection, and their data may later be linked to a PayPal account if one is created. You can opt out of targeted advertising, limit data sharing, and manage your privacy preferences by visiting your PayPal account privacy settings at https://www.paypal.com/us/myaccount/privacy/profiles/search.
Applicable agencies
Federal Trade Commission (ftc)
Oversees unfair or deceptive business practices and can investigate companies that mislead consumers about data collection, sharing, or use.
Who can file: Anyone affected by the company's practices (US or international)
What you need: Your account details, a timeline of relevant events, and a description of the specific issue
What to expect: Complaints inform FTC enforcement priorities and investigations but do not result in individual resolution or compensation
Regulates consumer financial products and services. Can investigate companies for unfair, deceptive, or abusive financial practices including improper fees, billing errors, and data misuse.
Who can file: Anyone who has used a consumer financial product or service in the US
What you need: Account number or details, dates of transactions or events, description of the issue, and any supporting documents
What to expect: The company must respond within 15 days. The CFPB forwards your complaint and may use it in enforcement actions. Individual compensation is possible in some cases.