eBay bans illicit automated shopping amid rapid rise of AI agents

eBay updated its User Agreement to explicitly ban unauthorized third-party AI agents and chatbots from automatically purchasing items, reflecting the rapid growth of "agentic commerce" tools that shop for users. The new terms, effective February 2026, specifically prohibit AI-driven bots and automated ordering systems without human oversight, expanding beyond previous general robot restrictions. This comes as companies like OpenAI have launched shopping features in ChatGPT, including direct purchasing capabilities from merchants like Etsy and Shopify.