Amazon Shopping Preferences Page Can List ‘Flat Buttocks,’ Viral Threads Post Shows

TechCrunch reported that the Threads user, @fangirlinmegan, wrote she “stumbled upon a page of assumptions that Amazon has made about me based on my purchases and I’m literally speechless.” She added: “I mean it ain’t wrong but damn did you have to call me out like that?” The page also listed less personal assumptions, including “Shops from women’s departments” and “Probably owns a Shark robot vacuum,” according to the report.

On desktop, TechCrunch said, users can find the page by hovering over “Hello, [your name]” in the upper right corner, clicking “Account” under “Your Account,” and then clicking “Your Shopping preferences” under “Ordering and shopping preferences.” A blue hyperlink at the bottom labeled “Manage your information” opens the list of assumptions. On the mobile app, users can tap the hamburger icon in the bottom menu bar and navigate to “Account,” then “Shopping preferences,” then “About you.”

The same page lets shoppers add information such as shoe size, interests and dietary preferences. TechCrunch’s reporter found that Amazon had inferred interests including “practices photography,” “plays collectible card games,” “invested in the Apple ecosystem,” and “read diverse non-fiction.” Colleagues cited by the publication saw assumptions about vinyl records, ceramics, “natural materials” in home decor and clothing that “prioritizes comfort.” None reported an assumption as personal as the “flat buttocks” label, and the Threads user suggested it may have come from her purchase of “butt scrunch leggings.”

Amazon has long used purchase history to customize shopping experiences, inferring pet ownership from cat litter purchases or skin concerns from acne products, TechCrunch reported. TechCrunch wrote that tech companies know too much about people and that it is jarring to realize how closely they pay attention to how customers use their platforms.