Sure, if you’re looking for that rare Roy Rogers cap gun, eBay can come in handy. But in a leaked recording of a closed-door speech given to U.S. lawmen, eBay’s Joseph Sullivan proudly told attendees that the site’s privacy policy is essentially a load of crap.

Sullivan explained that law officers need simply request information, and eBay will gladly comply. No court order necessary. And the friendly gestures don’t stop there.

“Tell us what you want to ask the bad guys,” Sullivan said. “We’ll send them a form signed by us and ask them your questions. We will send their answers directly to your e-mail.”

Having logged all user info since 1995, eBay could keep Ashcroft’s America busy forever. An attorney with the Yale Information Society Project calls the policy “coerced consent” at best. Despite eBay’s claims that the policy is clearly stated online, it actually takes three links and 11,000 words before the absence of user privacy is stated.

» Scott Saxon