Amazon keeps a secret list of guesses about you. Here’s how to read yours in 60 seconds.
One shopper found Amazon had decided she “has flat buttocks.” Here’s where Amazon, Google and Facebook hide what they think you are, and how to fix it.
🤯 WOW! Amazon writes notes about who it thinks you are, based on what you buy. One shopper bought scrunch leggings, and Amazon decided she “has flat buttocks.” Her post hit more than 1 million views in under a day. Your own list is three clicks away.
The Short Version: Amazon, Google and Facebook all keep a file of guesses about you, and you can see and fix them. Steps below.
📖 Read time: 2 minutes
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One Amazon shopper bought a pair of butt-scrunch leggings. Amazon’s takeaway: She “has flat buttocks.”
She found that little gem in a hidden corner of her account and posted it on Threads. More than 1 million people saw it in less than a day. (I laughed. Then I went straight to my own account.)
Here’s the deal. Amazon quietly writes notes about who it thinks you are, based on what you buy. Other guesses people found this week:
- “Probably owns a Shark robot vacuum”
- “Invested in the Apple ecosystem”
Guesses like these affect what Amazon shows you and what it nudges you to buy.
🕵️ Read your Amazon file
On a computer:
- Hover over Hello, [your name] at the upper right, and click Account.
- Under Ordering and shopping preferences, click Your Shopping preferences.
- Scroll to the bottom and click Manage your information.
In the Amazon app:
- Tap the menu icon (three lines) in the bottom bar.
- Go to Account > Shopping preferences > About you.
Don’t panic if your list is short. Mine had exactly one thing: Amazon has me following the USC Trojans. I’m a proud ASU grad. My son went to USC, and I bought him a pile of Trojans swag. (Go Sun Devils.)
That’s the catch. Amazon can’t tell your stuff from gifts. To dump a wrong trait:
- Click it, so it’s no longer selected.
- Click the yellow Save button.
Done. That also unsubscribes you from any related emails.
You can fill in real details like your shoe size and interests. Better info means fewer weird guesses about your backside.
👀 Amazon isn’t the only one taking notes
Your other big accounts keep files, too.
- Google: Its ad profile can guess your age, income bracket and even health interests. I walked you through how to check your Google ad profile back in April.
- Facebook and Instagram: Open Settings & privacy > Settings > Accounts Center > Ad preferences. Look under Ad topics to see what Meta thinks you’re into, and tap See less on anything you don’t want following you around.
These guesses don’t sit in a drawer. They shape the deals you see and the ads that follow you from site to site. You can’t stop the note-taking, but you can make sure the notes aren’t wrong.
I ordered a deck of cards from Amazon two weeks ago, and it still hasn’t arrived. Customer service told me they’re dealing with it.
📩 Send this to someone who buys everything on Amazon.
