David StreitfeldJul 29, 2026 – 2.52pmLike so much of the internet, eBay began at a moment of intense optimism that technology could bring people together. The auction website proclaims that “eBay was founded in 1995 on the simple premise that people are basically good”.But what if people are not actually good? What if technology instead amplifies their worst impulses and makes them into people who are very bad indeed?Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles