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Online Shopping

Introduction

Online shopping has transformed retail since Amazon’s launch in 1995, offering unprecedented convenience but also creating new privacy challenges. E-commerce platforms collect vast amounts of data about our shopping habits, preferences, payment information, and physical addresses. This data collection has intensified with the rise of personalized recommendations and targeted advertising, making it crucial to understand and manage our digital shopping footprint.

Providers

Amazon

The e-commerce giant collects extensive shopping and browsing data. In 2020, an FTC investigation revealed that Amazon combines shopping data with Alexa interactions, Ring camera footage, and other services to create detailed customer profiles. The company’s recommendation system tracks every product viewed and purchase made.

Walmart

The retail giant’s online platform tracks shopping patterns and location data. In 2022, Walmart expanded its data collection to include in-store behavior through their app, combining online and offline shopping data. The company shares aggregated customer data with advertisers and partners.

Shopify

Powers millions of online stores and collects data across its merchant network. In 2021, Shopify updated its privacy policy to allow broader data sharing between merchants, raising concerns about cross-site tracking. The platform tracks user behavior across different Shopify-powered stores.

eBay

The marketplace tracks detailed buying and selling patterns. In 2014, eBay suffered a major data breach exposing 145 million users’ personal information. The platform continues to collect extensive user data, including browsing history and item interactions across different sellers.

Recommendations

  1. Use guest checkout when possible to minimize stored data
  2. Create separate email addresses for different shopping categories
  3. Use privacy-focused payment methods (virtual cards, PayPal)
  4. Regularly clear shopping history and saved items
  5. Be cautious with store loyalty programs
  6. Consider using privacy-focused browsers for shopping

Actions

  • Review saved payment methods on shopping sites
  • Delete unnecessary shopping accounts
  • Clear saved addresses from infrequently used sites
  • Enable two-factor authentication on major shopping accounts
  • Opt out of marketing emails and data sharing
  • Install privacy-focused shopping extensions
  • Review and revoke third-party app access to shopping accounts