This review explains the Amazon.com Privacy Notice in plain language, for shoppers, parents, and older adults. It was checked on September 23, 2026. The notice was last updated June 30, 2026. It is not legal advice, and it does not cover every Amazon device page.
Primary sources: Amazon.com Privacy Notice and Generative AI Development Disclosure.
Snapshot
- Covers Amazon products, services, stores, websites, devices, and apps that point to this notice.
- Using the services is treated as consent to the notice.
- Collects what you type, automatic click and device data, voice and images when you use those features, and information from carriers and other companies.
- Says it is not in the business of selling customers’ personal information, and still shares order details with third-party sellers and advertising identifiers with ad companies.
- Does not sell products for purchase by children. Under 18 requires a parent or guardian. Under 13 is not knowingly collected without a parent’s consent.
What they collect
Amazon stores information you provide, such as name, address, payment information, age, and the content of reviews. Automatic information includes IP address, the location of your device or computer, the full URL clickstream, products you viewed or searched for, and purchase history. Physical stores “may use cameras, computer vision, sensors, and other technology” to gather information about activity in the store.
If you use Alexa, the notice says voice recordings are collected and that you can access voice recordings associated with your account. The separate Alexa privacy page was not opened for this review.
Who gets the data
Amazon says customer information is shared with subsidiaries it controls that follow this notice or practices at least as protective. Third-party sellers, app providers, and Alexa skill makers receive personal information related to those transactions. Service providers can use it only to perform their job.
For ads, Amazon says it does not share your name or information that directly identifies you. It does share an advertising identifier, such as a cookie or a code derived from an email address, and an estimate of ad value. It says it does not share specific purchases, product views, or searches with ad companies. Some of those companies “also use this information to serve you relevant ads from other advertisers.”
Easy to miss
- The first paragraph says that by using Amazon Services, you are consenting to the notice. There is no separate “I agree” step described there.
- “We are not in the business of selling” is not the same as “no one else receives data.” Sellers get transaction details. Ad companies get identifiers.
- To browse without linking history to your account, Amazon says you must sign out and block cookies. Signing out alone is not the step they describe.
- Unless stated otherwise, the current notice applies to all information Amazon already has about you and your account. Amazon also says it will not materially weaken protections for information collected in the past without the consent of affected customers.
New technology
The notice says Amazon uses machine learning and artificial intelligence “to support and enhance the customer experience,” including “using data to develop or deploy our generative AI models and services.”
The Generative AI Development Disclosure, also checked on September 23, 2026, says training data may include licensed and proprietary datasets, synthetic data, open-source data, and publicly available content, including web-crawled data. Those datasets “may contain public domain content, rights-protected material, and in some cases, personal information or aggregate consumer information.” It does not say, in the pages opened for this review, that your order history is the training set. Do not treat those as the same claim.
Store cameras and computer vision are a separate new-technology issue for anyone who shops in an Amazon or Amazon-powered store.
Kids and families
Amazon says it does not sell products for purchase by children. It sells children’s products for adults to buy. Anyone under 18 may use the services only with a parent or guardian. Amazon says it does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without parental consent. The Children’s Privacy Disclosure was not opened for this review. Household and Prime settings are visible in Your Account.
Older adults
Order history, payment settings, and voice recordings tied to the account can be viewed after signing in. Amazon may ask you to verify identity before it discloses personal information. Use a unique password, and sign out on a shared computer. The notice says that blocking cookies will also block the cart and checkout, so a shared computer needs a sign-out habit, not only a cookie block.
What you can turn off
- Open Your Ads Privacy Choices, linked from the notice, to adjust personalized advertising. The exact screen was not re-walked for this review, so treat the menu names as current only as of the notice’s own links on September 23, 2026.
- Turn off recommendation use for an item with the “Use this item for recommendations” toggle, and edit browsing history from Your Account.
- For Alexa, use the account tools the notice points to for voice recordings. Confirm the steps on Amazon’s Alexa privacy page before you rely on them.
- On a non-Amazon phone, location and contacts permissions are in the phone’s settings.
What this means for you
Amazon keeps a detailed picture of what you search, view, and buy, and it uses that picture for recommendations and for its own ads. The easy-to-miss part is the gap between “we do not sell your information” and the identifiers and seller records that still leave Amazon.
Does Amazon sell personal information?
The notice says Amazon is not in the business of selling customers’ personal information to others. It also describes sharing transaction data with third parties and advertising identifiers with ad companies. Read both sentences together.
Is my shopping used to train AI?
The privacy notice says Amazon uses data to develop or deploy generative AI models. The AI disclosure says training sets can include personal information in some cases. Neither page opened for this review lists your past orders as a training source. If that distinction matters to you, ask Amazon through Data Privacy Queries, which the notice links for access and deletion requests.
This is not legal advice. Checked September 23, 2026. The notice says Amazon’s business changes constantly and that you should check the page often.