It should not come as a massive surprise to modern consumers that Amazon collects vast amounts of data based on what people buy. If a household regularly orders cat litter, the platform will naturally infer that the occupants own cats. Similarly, a purchase history dominated by anti-acne skin products might lead the automated algorithms to deduce that a shopper is prone to breakouts.
Even though most digital consumers are well aware that Amazon customizes their online shopping experiences based on past purchase history, it still comes as an abrupt and jarring shock to see all of those personal details laid out in a convenient, neatly organized list. This is especially true when those algorithmic assumptions cross the line from standard retail marketing into territory that feels uncomfortably intimate.
One user on Meta’s Threads platform recently stumbled across a specific section of her Amazon settings where shoppers can view what the retail giant believes it knows about them. Alongside fairly benign, everyday assumptions such as "Shops from women’s departments" and "Probably owns a Shark robot vacuum," she discovered that Amazon had deduced that she "has flat buttocks."
"I stumbled upon a page of assumptions that Amazon has made about me based on my purchases and I’m literally speechless," an Amazon customer using the handle @fangirlinmegan wrote on Threads. "I mean it ain’t wrong, but damn did you have to call me out like that?"
In less than a day, the post garnered over a million views, quickly spreading across social media and sparking widespread curiosity. Thousands of users began checking their own Amazon profiles to see what kind of digital portrait the retailer’s algorithms had painted of them based on their shopping habits.
The discovery has reignited conversations about the sheer depth of data tracking that underpins modern e-commerce. Tech companies undoubtedly know a great deal about their customers, and moments like this serve as a stark reminder of just how closely corporations pay attention to the granular details of how people use their platforms. We live in an era characterized by alarming digital surveillance, though finding out that an online storefront has rendered a blunt verdict on one’s physical anatomy certainly adds a uniquely surreal layer to the conversation.
For curious users hoping to inspect their own algorithmic profiles, the settings page can be accessed through both desktop and mobile applications, though the path requires navigating several layers of menus.
On a desktop browser, shoppers can find the page by hovering over the greeting in the upper right corner, clicking on the account section under the main menu, and navigating to the ordering and shopping preferences area. From there, users can find their shopping preferences, where they can manually input personal information such as shoe sizes, specific interests, and dietary preferences. Scrolling to the bottom of that page reveals a hyperlinked option to manage personal information, which opens the hood on the data the retailer has compiled.
On the mobile application, users can navigate to the setting by tapping the menu icon from the bottom bar, heading to the account overview, and following the path through shopping preferences and the "About you" section.
A look behind the curtain for many users reveals a mix of accurate predictions and amusing digital profiling. For some, Amazon correctly gleans that they practice photography, play collectible card games, or are heavily invested in specific consumer electronics ecosystems. The algorithms often flatter consumers by noting habits like reading diverse non-fiction, a categorization that might prompt an open-minded intellectual to appreciate the platform’s perceptiveness.
Other shoppers have found that Amazon accurately notes niche interests in vinyl records, ceramics, or a distinct preference for natural materials in home decor and clothing that prioritizes comfort. While most profiles do not feature anything quite as pointed or culturally striking as an assumption about flat buttocks, users frequently realize that these hyper-specific tags are directly traceable to a single isolated purchase. In the case of the viral Threads post, the user astutely noted that her unexpected physical categorization was likely the direct result of purchasing a pair of butt-scrunch leggings.
As internet users continue to comb through their profiles, the viral moment highlights the strange reality of algorithmic consumer profiling. While the data collection powers major recommendation engines and personalized storefronts, it also serves as an uncomfortably vivid reminder that every online purchase leaves behind a permanent, highly detailed footprint.
