When you type something into the search bar on Amazon, you’re likely to see an autofill option based on your previous searches. This is one of many ways that Amazon gathers information with the pretense of creating an optimized experience for you as a shopper. What you may not realize is that Amazon is connected to what you read on Kindle, watch on Amazon Prime, listen to on Amazon Music, and even the food you purchase on Prime Now.
These are all convenient services that you probably enjoy. If you have an Alexa device with any other devices connected to it, then your Amazon account probably seems to know what you want better than you do. But is that a good thing? Read on to learn about what information Amazon gathers, how they use it, and if they’re selling it to anyone else.
Their website says they don’t, but that doesn’t mean that your information isn’t given away to anyone other than Amazon. If you make a purchase that is fulfilled by a third party seller, Amazon partnerships with that seller will give them the information needed to fulfill the order. Many sellers on Amazon aren’t actually part of the website but use it to sell their products. Amazon may not be selling your information to these people, but they’re still getting it.
Most of the information that Amazon collects is information that you provide! Some ways that they do this are:
Every device that has Amazon suite apps, is made by Amazon, or apps you share to from Amazon collect information that you provide. This doesn’t mean that it’s all personally identifiable information or that you’re susceptible to identity theft. It does mean that Amazon collects an enormous amount of information from you and you authorize it.
Not exactly. If you share your purchases, obviously people will see them. You also have a public profile on Amazon and some information such as likes and lists may be available there. You can change what is viewable to the public via the “social settings” tab on your account.
The party line is that they don’t but that’s only partly true. When you purchase something, the seller gets your e-mail address. They can send you messages through Amazon’s system, and they can give out your e-mail address. However, this is frowned upon and Amazon may revoke privileges for sellers that do this.
Yes. You can contact them and submit a request. They will send you an e-mail validation link and after you verify your information, they will send you a secure download link. Their help section doesn’t tell you if they will delete your information, only that you can request it.
Armed with this information, it can become incredibly overwhelming when deciding what to do next. You might be wondering if you should continue purchasing on Amazon or if you should delete your account immediately. You don’t need to worry or do anything extreme. The ways Amazon gathers information is the same as many other applications you use such as social media, search engines, or your cell phone provider. If you’re not sure and you want to learn more, contact us and we help you figure it all out.
DeleteMe is our premium privacy service that removes you from more than 30 data brokers like Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified, plus many more.
Save 20% on DeleteMe when you use the code DIYPRIVACY.
Our privacy advisors:
Save 20% on any individual and family privacy plan with code: BLOG20
Over 575 reviews with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5
© 2022 Abine, Inc. All Rights reserved.