Etsy is one of a growing number of online platforms that have embraced digital identity checks (Picture: Getty Images)
The first thing people see when they click Callum’s Etsy page is a notice that reads: ‘YukiArtsStudio is taking a short break.’
But the thing is,Callum tells Metro,he’s not taking a ‘short break’ by choice.
Etsy,the digital marketplace that allows independent artists to sell to tens of millions of consumers,shuttered Callum’s shop earlier this month.
And the only way to get it back is to give Etsy and a third-party verification platform his government-issued ID and film a selfie to be scanned.
The Nottingham local,32,was asked to prove he is who he says he is two weeks ago and given a deadline of yesterday to do so.
‘I was asked for my biometrics with no prior knowledge and with a countdown timer and deadline before they close my shop,to induce panic data submission,’ he explains.
The process involved ID and face-scanning technology (Picture: Callum/Etsy)
Biometric data – physical and behavioural traits – are used to match the seller’s face to their ID if the seller ‘consents’,according to Etsy.
Because he has not undergone the check,Callum can no longer sell his enamel anime and Pokémon-inspired pins on Etsy.
‘There is £128 in Etsy funds being withheld,and for a small artist like myself,that’s a lot of money,’ Callum says,adding that he is still sending orders out at a loss.
‘I need a constant flow of income for stock and expenses and day-to-day struggles. I really don’t want to see this happen to anyone else.’
Callum’s account records,shared with Metro,show Etsy is ‘temporarily holding’ £128.33. Only some money has been transferred to him.
He adds that he knows other sellers are moving to different platforms over the ID checks.
Callum’s shop is locked until he proves his identity (Picture: Callum/Etsy)
Etsy partners with the third-party age-verification company Persona to check user identities. It also offers non-biometric verification,which means a support agent will manually review the materials,though this ‘generally takes longer’.
In an email exchange seen by Metro,Callum asked an Etsy customer service representative if a ‘human’ could manually verify their ID.
The rep replied on Monday: ‘Please note that Etsy cannot manually verify your ID outside of the Persona verification system. All sellers must compete identity verification directly through Persona to meet legal,regulatory and marketplace requirements.’
They added: ‘If you’re unable to complete the verification through Persona,you unfortunately won’t be able to continue selling on Etsy.’
An email from an Etsy customer service agent (Picture: Callum/Etsy)
Etsy’s verification policy says: ‘The selfie and the image of your government ID will be retained for no longer than six years after your shop is closed. Your biometric information will be stored for no longer than 12 months,unless otherwise required by applicable legal requirements.’
Persona’s involvement in the process has left Callum worried. ‘Etsy cannot guarantee their third-party partners will protect our data after several breaches of their infrastructure and known data misuse,’ he says.
Hackers revealed last week that Persona’s frontend – the side of websites and apps that people interact with – was exposed.
Persona allegedly has ‘surveillance software’ which performs 269 checks on users,such as to see if they’re on a watch list,hackers from vmfunc.re claimed.
The software can make direct reports to the US government,such as flagging potential money launderers or terrorist financiers.
Persona stores data such as IP addresses,which reveal your general location and can be tied back to your device,and browser fingerprints,hackers claimed.
Lena Cohen,staff technologist at the digital rights group,the Electronic Frontier Foundation told Metro that digital fingerprints might not sound like much at first.
Etsy is an online marketplace used widely by small artists selling handmade products (Picture: Bloomberg/Getty Images)
‘Our phones,web browsers,and other digital devices can all be fingerprinted,’ she says.
‘Seemingly insignificant pieces of information,like screen resolution,installed fonts,and software versions,can be combined to form a unique ‘fingerprint’ of our devices.’
Our digital fingerprints cannot be easily removed,Cohen adds: ‘Online services can use digital fingerprints to identify people who take other steps to protect their privacy,like blocking cookies and advertising IDs.’
Persona said in a review that there was no leak,nor does the company feed the US government or conduct surveillance checks on millions of users worldwide. No customer data or backend systems were affected.
David Ruiz,a senior privacy advocate for the cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes,said the public’s privacy is being ‘atomised’ by tech firms.
‘I understand that Etsy,as a marketplace and a business,must defend against fraud,but I also understand this seller who,reduced to data,wants to be treated whole,’ Ruiz says.
‘I also worry that the price for being online only increases in the future.
‘Whereas we could connect,speak,and share without even names in the internet’s earliest days,we’re entering a world where our kids may not even be able to talk about video games with their friends without first taking a selfie.’
Etsy and Persona have been approached for comment.
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