eBay (EBAY) risk factors, 2025 10-K

Business, Economic, Market and Operating Risks

1. 01Our operating and financial results are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, as well as the trading price of our common stock and debt securities
2. 02Substantial and increasingly intense competition worldwide in ecommerce may harm our business
3. 03We are exposed to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, which could negatively impact our financial results
4. 04Our international operations and engagement in cross-border trade are subject to risks, which could harm our business
5. 05Our business may be adversely affected by geopolitical events, natural disasters, seasonal factors and other factors, including increased usage of other websites, that could cause our users to spend less time, or transact less, on our websites or mobile platforms and applications
6. 06If we cannot keep pace with rapid technological developments or continue to innovate and create new initiatives to provide new programs, products and services, the use of our products and our revenues could decline
7. 07Changes to our programs to protect buyers and sellers could increase our costs and loss rate, and failure to manage such programs effectively can result in harm to our reputation
8. 08Operations and continued development of our payments system and financial services offerings require ongoing investment, are subject to evolving laws, regulations, rules, and standards, and involve risk, including risks related to our dependence on third-party providers
9. 09We may be unable to adequately protect or enforce our intellectual property rights and face ongoing allegations by third parties that we are infringing their intellectual property rights
10. 10and we are subject to increased exposure to such claims as a result of our acquisitions and divestitures or where we are entering new lines of business
11. 11Failure to deal effectively with fraudulent activities on our Marketplace platforms would increase our loss rate and harm our business and could severely diminish merchant and consumer confidence in and use of our services
12. 12Cyberattacks and data security breaches and incidents could significantly damage our reputation, reduce our revenues, increase our costs, result in litigation and regulatory penalties, and otherwise harm our business
13. 13Systems failures and resulting interruptions in the availability of or degradation in the performance of our websites, applications, products or services could harm our business
14. 14in the United States, could result in higher costs and other operational changes necessary to respond to changing conditions and to establish new relationships with worker representatives
15. 15Problems with or price increases by third parties who provide services to us or to our sellers could harm our business

Regulatory and Legal Risks

1. 16Our business is subject to extensive and increasing government regulation and oversight, which could adversely impact our business
2. 17New laws and increasing levels of regulation in the areas of privacy, protection of user data and cybersecurity could harm our business
3. 18We are subject to laws and regulations that are not primarily intended for online commerce, and interpretations of these laws and regulations could harm our business
4. 19Our disclosures and stakeholder expectations related to environmental, social and governance matters may impose additional costs and expose us to new risks
5. 20We are regularly subject to litigation and regulatory and government inquiries, investigations and disputes, as our business evolves and as governments and regulators seek to extend new and existing laws to reach our business model
6. 21We could be subject to regulatory or agency investigations and/or court proceedings under unfair competition laws that could adversely impact our business
7. 22The listing or sale by our users of certain items, including items that allegedly infringe the intellectual property rights of rights owners, including pirated or counterfeit items, illegal items or items used in an illegal manner, may harm our business
8. 23We are subject to risks associated with information disseminated through our services
9. 24Fluctuations in interest rates, and changes in regulatory guidance related to such interest rates, could adversely impact our financial results

Tax Risks

1. 25Our business and our sellers and buyers may be subject to evolving sales and other tax regimes in various jurisdictions, which may harm our business
2. 26We may have exposure to greater than anticipated tax liabilities
3. 27Acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, strategic partnerships and strategic investments could result in operating difficulties and could harm our business or impact our financial results
4. 28We may be exposed to claims and liabilities as a result of the Distribution of PayPal